Is Your Life Effective and Productive?

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8)

According to the apostle Peter in this verse, if we possess knowledge of Jesus Christ, our lives are to be effective and productive. I think what makes this verse difficult to understand in modern times, is our western concept of “knowledge.” When we read a verse like this in the ancient scriptures, we bring our western cultural understanding into the text, and we are probably thinking of “knowledge” as an accumulation of facts. We probably think of knowing about someone, such as reading about that person in a book.

But as I have pointed out in previous devotionals, the mindset of those who wrote the Bible was not western, and they did not tend to look at life strictly in terms of “scientific knowledge.” They placed a much greater emphasis on personal knowledge through relationships, the kind of knowledge that comes about through subjective experience, as opposed to only objective facts about something.

For example, one could read about the richest person in the world and accumulate lots of facts about that person. If they are the richest person in the world, there is probably a lot of written material about that person that one could spend time reading and studying. The more you read and study, the more you will know about that person. One can have a specific kind of “knowledge” then about that person obtained through reading and studying the facts about them.

But how useful will that knowledge be if you have never actually met that person, and if that person has no idea who you are because there is no personal relationship between you and that person? Will the wealth that person possesses be able to help your own financial situation? Obviously it is highly unlikely this person would help you personally with their vast wealth (although reading about the principles of how they became wealthy might help you obtain your own wealth). The only use your intellectual knowledge would have of such a person would probably be if you were to meet someone else who has less intellectual knowledge of that person than you do, and you were able to educate them. Or if you met someone who thought they knew some facts about this person, and tried to argue with you about those facts without having actually “done their homework” and spent the time reading and studying about them like you did, then you could probably win a debate with them and display your superior “knowledge.” But still, that knowledge you possess of the facts would not help your financial situation at all in obtaining access to some of this person's wealth if you did not have a personal relationship with the richest person in the world. Knowing facts about this person is is a completely different kind of knowledge than really knowing this person through personal contact.

So when Peter writes “they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,” I doubt seriously that he is writing about simply knowing facts about Jesus. I am quite certain that the kind of knowledge he is talking about, the kind of knowledge that allows one to live “productive and effective” lives, is the kind of knowledge that is the result of actually meeting Jesus, and having a personal relationship with him. Having only factual knowledge of who Jesus is, even if you have memorized the entire Bible, will only help you educate others about those facts, or win debates about him. But it will not necessarily help you be effective and productive in life.

So what are the qualities of an “effective and productive” life as Peter wrote about? Here is what he wrote:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:3-7)

Being effective and productive in life begins with our minds, and understanding the “great and precious promises” that Christ has given us, and the “divine power” that is available to us. But it then moves beyond the intellectual knowledge, and produces faith in our life to put into practice the things we know are true. What good are great and precious promises and divine power if we never put them into practice? When we put them into practice, we possess the qualities of an effective and productive life that are listed here by Peter: faith – goodness – knowledge – self control – perseverance – godliness – brotherly kindness – love.

The knowledge spoken of here then is much more than just possession of facts. It is based on a relationship to Christ in the spiritual realm, where he communicates with us on a continual basis giving us direction and guidance in our own personal lives. The end result, if we listen to what he tells us and practice it, is always love! This is the “agape” (unconditional) love that comes from God and was demonstrated to us by the earthly life of Jesus, who died on the cross for us, even when we didn’t deserve it. Jesus not only taught and preached about God's love, he demonstrated it with his own life.

So the person who is productive and effective in their life is the person who is increasing in agape (unconditional) love, and transforming other people’s lives and their culture. It is a person who is living their life in direct contrast to “the corruption in the world caused by evil desires,” because they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the wealth and power of Jesus is available for them to use.

Is that the life you are living? Is your life effective and productive, or do you mostly only have the intellectual kind of knowledge about Jesus that can educate or win debates, but that is ineffective and unproductive in regards to producing a life of love that transforms yourself and others around you? Do you truly know Jesus, and is he guiding your life to be effective and productive?

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (Words of Jesus recorded in John 15:4-13)

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Spiritual Cleansing and Detox

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

We live in a very polluted environment these days, and much of our food is mass produced and altered in such a way that we end up consuming toxins that our body needs to process and eliminate in order for us to enjoy good physical health. There are a variety of cleansing and detoxification protocols and products used today for these physical cleansings of the body.

But your spirit also is subject to spiritual toxins, and we are all in need of spiritual cleansing on a regular basis to keep our spiritual life healthy. The initial spiritual washing and renewal happens during our spiritual rebirth. As is written in the verses above in Paul’s letter to Titus, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Without this spiritual rebirth and cleansing, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God and inherit eternal life, and the new future body that God has for each one who is a member of his spiritual kingdom.

As this passage in Titus states, before we experience the spiritual rebirth we are “enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” (Some translations say “lusts” instead of “pleasures.”) These are the spiritual toxins in our life that cause us to live “in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.” When we are enslaved to our sinful nature and the passions and lusts of our sin nature, we produce many spiritual toxins. There are many lists recorded throughout the Bible that give us examples of these types of spiritual toxins. Read the words of Jesus himself:

He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man "unclean.'" (Mark 7:20-23)

So the first step in spiritual renewal and cleansing is the spiritual rebirth. When we repent and receive God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, we receive a new spirit, and we are no longer slaves to our passions and lusts.

But we still have the sinful nature, so spiritual cleansing and detoxification is a continual and ongoing process. Those who concentrate only on the physical body and physical health are missing an even greater opportunity to achieve real health, which first comes through the spirit, NOT the body. Your spirit will live forever, while your current body is decaying and growing old, and is only temporary.

If one is truly born again spiritually and has the Holy Spirit living within them, then the spiritual cleansing and detoxification process is one of submitting to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and allowing him to work in and through our lives, rather than giving in to the passions and lusts of our flesh:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26)

Notice the list of spiritual toxins that Paul wrote here in this letter to the Galatians, and its contrast to the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A spirit cleansed from these toxins can produce the spiritual fruit of the Holy Spirit which accomplishes God’s purpose in our lives.

When we do fail to listen to the Holy Spirit, and instead give in to our sinful desires, we can experience immediate spiritual cleansing by confessing our sins to God:

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

No one likes to think of themselves as a bad person, so our natural tendency is to deny our sins, or excuse them away. These are the spiritual toxins in our life. “Repentance” means “to change one’s mind,” to admit and confess the sins in our life. Truth must have its reign in our hearts and minds, leading us to spiritual renewal and cleansing.

The first truth we must recognize and acknowledge is that evolution is a lie, and that there is a Creator God who created you and has a specific plan and purpose for your life. The second foundational truth we must recognize and acknowledge is that we are sinners before God, and that our only hope for spiritual renewal and life is through the forgiveness that Jesus Christ offers us through his death and resurrection. If you don’t have a clear understanding of these foundational truths, take some time today to read the foundation articles on this website that clearly explains these truths. Then take time each day to spend in prayer and reading God’s word to have your mind and spirit renewed, and find the spiritual cleansing and detoxification that leads to total health!

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

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Arguing is not Healthy!

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:23-24)

Americans love to argue and debate! As one who has traveled extensively and lived in Asian cultures, I can testify to the fact that Americans are viewed as arrogant and rude by most cultures in the world today. Being opinionated, debating, arguing, and criticizing others have become virtues in our culture. Turn on any cable news network and you will constantly find people of opposing views arguing and attacking one another. And the shows that do it the most have the highest ratings! Americans love this kind of behavior.

So this may come as a surprise to most Americans who read this, but such behavior is viewed in the Bible as wrong! The verse above written by Paul to his young co-worker Timothy is one of the best statements attesting to this truth. Timothy was a missionary like Paul who preached the gospel message about Jesus and established churches in new places. There were many people in his day that opposed his ministry, as well as the ministry of Paul. In this instructional letter to Timothy, Paul makes it very clear that Timothy was NOT supposed to argue with those who opposed his teaching.

The command to not argue did not mean that he was not to oppose false teaching and false doctrine. On the contrary, we are encouraged to always be ready to make a defense to those who oppose our message. Notice how the apostle Peter addressed this issue:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Our communication and defense of the truth is to be “with gentleness and respect” – not arguing and attacking. Take a look at the entire instruction Paul gave to Timothy in this respect:

Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:23-26)

Timothy was instructed to oppose those who taught false doctrine, but by “gently instructing” and not by debating or arguing. The key point here I think is respecting the person or persons who are opposing you, realizing that if they are trapped in false thinking, they are walking in the kingdom of darkness. Therefore they have desperate needs to change their way of thinking (repentance), and come to a knowledge of the truth about Jesus and salvation. Their very lives and eternal destiny are at stake, and we must have compassion and love for people who attack us and oppose us!

While confrontation and arguing is seen as a virtue in American culture, many cultures in the world today value non-confrontation and courtesy. This includes the Middle Eastern culture of which much of the Bible was written from. During Paul’s day there was undoubtedly a conflict of cultures between the Semitic Jews and the Roman/Greek Gentile culture, which is the foundation of Western culture today. And since Timothy was brought up in the Greek culture (he was not from Israel), Paul considered it important to cover these issues regarding how to oppose and confront others. As a missionary, this was part of Timothy’s ministry. What made it even more difficult was the fact that Timothy was young, and considered a “youth.” Notice how Paul instructed him to confront others:

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

Is this the way you confront others? Or do you follow the popular American culture which values “sticking up for your rights” and participate in arguments and debates that seek to tear down and humiliate the person you are opposing? Unfortunately, that is the American way, but it is NOT the way of the servant of Christ. Those of us serving Christ are called to be courteous and respectful to those we are opposing, loving them and desiring that they come to a knowledge of the truth about Christ and salvation.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. (1 Timothy 2:1-8)

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Dealing with Despair

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

The record of the life of Moses in the Bible is a story that tells us about the successes and failures of the man Moses. Few have walked this earth and experienced such contrasting experiences of despair and joy.

As I have written in other articles, we are all created for a purpose, and we find that purpose for our lives by developing a relationship with God, listening to his voice, and following his plan for our lives. Moses was a prophet, but he was unique among all other prophets in his age, and in the ages to come before Jesus came to earth, in that he regularly talked directly with God:

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. (Exodus 33:11)

When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. (Numbers 12:6-8)

Moses carried on conversations with God, apparently in his Hebrew dialect. The task God was giving to Moses was so fantastic, so significant, that God had to make sure there was no doubt in Moses’ mind that it was him who was speaking to him, and telling him what his purpose in life was.

Moses was a Hebrew born in Egypt during a time when all the Hebrew baby boys were commanded to be put to death. Moses’ mother hid him and he was found by the king of Egypt’s daughter. So he was raised by a princess.

When he became an adult, however, he saw how his people were mistreated as slaves, and apparently God put it in his heart to be the deliverer of his people. Unfortunately, he tried to do this in his own way, and ended up murdering an Egyptian who was beating one of the Hebrew slaves. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses ran away into the desert to hide. He lived there for 40 years as a shepherd, got married, and raised a family.

Then one day, God appeared to him in a burning bush, and started talking to him. He told Moses to go back to Egypt and deliver his people from their bondage as slaves. He made it clear to Moses that he would be with him and that he would show his power to Pharaoh. Moses did everything he could to try and convince God that he had the wrong man, but God was not persuaded. This was God’s purpose and plan for Moses, and when your Creator talks to you face to face in your own language, there can be no doubt!

So Moses goes to Egypt along with his brother Aaron to confront the king and watch God make a fool of Pharaoh, and bring about a great deliverance for his people. He told his people the news, performed a couple of miracles and they cheered him on. Everything was going well. God spoke to Moses. Moses listened. Moses obeyed. Moses followed the plan perfectly. But then his world fell apart.

I am convinced that Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh as recorded in Exodus chapter 5 was probably the lowest point of his life. He did everything God asked him to do, but it only infuriated Pharaoh, and in turn he made life even more difficult for the Hebrews, increasing their labor and hardship. The Hebrews wanted nothing to do with Moses after that (I am sure some wanted to kill him), and Pharaoh had basically laughed at Moses and mocked him and his God. Moses did everything right, but everything turned out wrong! The result was loneliness, anger, and despair.

Scripture does not tell us how long the interval was between Moses’ first and second encounter with Pharaoh. His subsequent meetings with Pharaoh were much more successful. It could have been days, weeks, months, or even longer before he dared to go back to Pharaoh a second time in obedience to God. We do see that the conversation between Moses and God continued during this time, as Moses expressed his anger and complained to God: Moses returned to the LORD and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." (Exodus 5:22-23)

Since Moses himself is the one who recorded these events, there is probably a lot he left out in his writings of this time period, since it was such a depressing time for him. I imagine his complaining and anger towards God were much more involved than what is recorded here! He would naturally be brief in his record of those dark days, and instead emphasize the victories that followed in his writings. After such humiliation and disgrace, I am sure there were many other conversations with God, and there are 39 verses written before the next encounter with Pharaoh happened, suggesting that this was the longest interval between Moses’ encounters with Pharaoh. It was undoubtedly one of the darkest periods of his life, if not the darkest. He was alone and rejected by his people, and even his wife (who was a Midianite, a descendant of Ishmael and not a Hebrew) had abandoned him on the way to Egypt, returning to her father with their children. But God had not abandoned him, and he kept talking to him. Moses listened. He didn’t have too many other choices.

Most of us know the rest of the story, and how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and inflicted many plagues on him and his country, until they lost everything. The Hebrews plundered their wealth and left their life of slavery in Egypt to journey to the Promised Land. God did just what he said he would do, and Moses became one of the most famous people in all human history. Imagine how the course of human history would have changed if Moses had given up after that first encounter with Pharaoh, where Pharaoh mocked him and then punished his people in return by making their lives more miserable. It would have been easy for Moses to give up after his first defeat. After all, his family was back in Midian, his home of 40 years, and how were they supposed to get along without him? He could have come up with some very good reasons to quit and go back home. And who would have blamed him? Everyone would probably have been happy to see him leave at that point! They were undoubtedly saying things to him like: "Nice try Moses, but go back to the desert where you belong! You're only making things worse here!" But that wasn’t God’s plan, and Moses chose to keep listening to God and to keep doing what he told him to do, even in the face of complete opposition and humiliation.

There are some incredible lessons for us to learn from Moses’ life, and his conversations with God. When we listen to God and obey his plan for our life, there is no guarantee that things are always going to go well. In fact, we may experience some of the most difficult times in our life just after making a decision to obey God and to take a step in faith. We may find depressing times in our life where everyone has abandoned us. During those times, it is crucial to follow Moses’ example, and to not turn away from God in anger during those times. Being angry and expressing our anger to God is OK, but we need to keep talking to God and keep listening to him, so we can believe and trust that there is master plan that will all work out in the end. That’s what faith is. Faith is trusting in God not only when things are going well, but when life is darkest. It is easy to trust God when things are going well and we are seeing God work and do incredible things in our life. But faith is what is needed when we sink to the lowest pits of despair. Blaming God will do no good in such situations. We need to express to him our feelings, but then we need to listen to his response. He won’t disappoint us like others in our life will.

Are you going through difficulties today? Are you turning towards God in your situation, or away from him? Are you listening to him, or avoiding him? One way leads to despair and sickness, the other way leads to healing and restoration by strengthening our faith.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:6-9)

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The Ultimate Training Program

Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Physical fitness and training is a huge business in our culture today, as we become a more sedentary population in the age of science and technology. During biblical times, the apostle Paul often referred to athletic events that were a part of the Roman culture and the precursor to today’s Olympic Games:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

Athletes must plan and implement a specific plan to train physically in order to compete successfully. Likewise today, many of us who lead sedentary lifestyles must make specific plans to stay physically fit through regular exercise, or our health will deteriorate.

But Paul told Timothy that training to be godly was far more beneficial for one’s health than physical training. He stated that physical training was only of some value, whereas godliness has value for all things. Physical training is only good for as long as your body lasts in this life, while godly training has value both in the present life and also in the future life to come. This principle is especially true in our modern society, as we exalt and emphasize the physical realm, and either ignore or deny the spiritual realm altogether.

So what is “godliness?” It is a lifestyle that honors God as the Creator of all things; a lifestyle that is lived out of a correct doctrine of who God is, and who Jesus is. Notice how Paul starts chapter 4 in his first letter to Timothy:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. (1 Timothy 4:1-7)

So godliness begins with correct thinking; correct teaching that starts with a foundation of understanding that Jesus is our Creator and our redeemer. False teaching begins with the foundation that there is no God, and that life is a part of the evolutionary process. One doctrine leads to godliness and health, the other leads to ungodliness and death.

As has been written previously, there are two spiritual kingdoms in the world today: the Kingdom of Light ruled by Jesus in the spiritual realm, and the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan in the spiritual realm. We are all members of one kingdom or the other. The kingdom of darkness in its current modern form is built upon a foundation of evolution that worships science and technology. The Kingdom of God is built upon the firm foundational truths contained in the Scriptures, the ancient writings of the Bible, which teach that God is the Creator of all things, and that Jesus is the mediator between God and man offering eternal salvation through his sacrificial death on the cross.

Just as it takes discipline to become physically fit, so too it takes discipline to become godly. If you never exercise, you just naturally become flabby and fat without too much effort. The same is true spiritually. If you don’t make any effort to study God’s word regularly, and spend time with him in prayer regularly, you will just naturally become ungodly without much effort. The result is that you will look just like those walking in the kingdom of darkness. But if we train ourselves to be godly, we will naturally clash with the kingdom of darkness, and suffer persecution:

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:12-17)

We are very fortunate that we do NOT have to be godly to be loved and accepted by God. He loves us with an unconditional love, simply because he created us and sent Jesus to die for our sins. But if we want to find purpose and meaning in life, fulfilling God’s specific plan for why he created us, then we need to make a commitment to go into training to become godly people. It doesn’t happen naturally. Each day you should take time to spend with God, letting the Holy Spirit direct your thinking into the truths of God’s word, and applying the scriptural principles to your own specific life and situation. Just as there is pain, suffering and self-denial in training to be an athlete, so too there is pain, suffering, and self-denial in becoming godly. It takes training in faith to go against the crowd that is walking in the darkness, and who will mock you and even attack you for being godly. But it’s worth it! Have you begun the ultimate training program yet?

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

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What Kind of Sign is Your Life?

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)

In the previous article (Life’s Not Fair!) we looked at the life of Joseph, and saw how he was treated unfairly. He had to live many years as both a slave and a prisoner, suffering for wrongs he never committed. But he never abandoned God’s calling in his life, and the dreams that God had given to him as a youth. The result was that he prospered in everything he did, and people were drawn to him, and trusted in him. His life was like a giant billboard, testifying about his faith in God, and people looked to him for help.

What kind of sign is your life? When the difficulties of life overwhelm you, what do people read in you? Do they see a person of faith trusting in the love and grace of God, or do they see someone who complains and gets angry over the trials of life?

The church in Thessalonica was a shining example of believers facing adversity in the days of Paul. They faced tremendous persecution for the stand they took for Christ, and their faith was like a big billboard proclaiming who they were trusting in, as Paul wrote: “among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

Paul prayed for these believers in Thessalonica the prayer that is recorded above. When God calls us out of the kingdom of darkness and brings us into his kingdom, it is not something we have earned or deserve. We simply receive his calling in our life by faith. But once he brings us into his kingdom, it should be our goal to become worthy of his calling. It is not something we can do in our own strength, which is why Paul prayed that the Thessalonian believers would receive God’s power to accomplish his purpose in their lives, and that their actions would be prompted by faith instead of fear, or anger. They faced tremendous persecution and suffering for following Christ.

He then goes on to give the reason why he prayed for this: “so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him.” Our lives are to be a sign to others that the message of Jesus is real. The strength by which we are to face trials and suffering to display this sign is “according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The grace of God is a power that nothing in this world can overcome. Paul goes on to write later in the letter: “May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

Facing loss of family, job, and even life for the result of believing in Christ is not something most people in America have to face. Yet many Christians around the world today do face these kinds of trials as a result of their faith in Christ. Their life is a sign to others that the gospel of Jesus is true, and that it is possible to forsake the ways of the world and fully trust in God.

One of the places where this kind of persecution is currently happening today is in Nigeria. Here is a letter from a believer in Nigeria as posted on the Christian Aid website this week:

I want to give you the following story, just told me by Pastor Darlington Elekwa, who was discipling the boy. Darlington was one of my student leaders in the early '80s:

“I learned just this morning how my beloved boy, John Nfon Nsima, was murdered in cold blood by terrorists at Gada Bako, Nasarawa Gwom. He was only 20 years old. One of John’s colleagues was taking him home on a motor bike. About 100 Muslim youths waylaid them, demanding that they declare that they have become Muslims. The rider of the motorbike did, but John refused. He maintained that he was a Christian and would die a Christian. Right there, they cut him down on the spot with axes and machetes. They gave the other one some cuts and let him go.

This surviving colleague of John's who rode the motorbike told us the story. We have gone round all the hospitals in search of his remains, but to no avail. Unfortunately his body must have been among hundreds of others given mass burial. We are obviously proud of our late brother who stood gallantly and refused to deny Christ even in the face of death.”

You can read more here.

John Nfon Nsima’s life in Nigeria was a sign that pointed people to Jesus. God made him worthy of the calling in which he was called. And through God’s grace, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ was glorified in him, and now he is glorified in Christ.

How about your life? What kind of sign are people reading in you? Is the name of Jesus glorified in you? Or do you look like the majority around you in the world today, walking in the kingdom of darkness?

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

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Life’s Not Fair!

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)

The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible, provides a wonderful illustration of the truth that while life is not fair, God is in control at all times, working things out to accomplish his purposes. Life may not be fair, but God is, and he has the last say in every matter.

If there was anyone who ever seemed to have a “right” to complain that life was not fair, it would certainly have been Joseph! As a youth God gave him certain dreams about the future which showed that his older brothers would one day be bowing down to him. These dreams, together with his father’s favoritism, caused a deep jealousy and anger among his older brothers. So one day they took advantage of a situation out in the fields to get rid of him, and sold him as a slave to a caravan of traders heading to Egypt. An unfortunate incident, but some could claim Joseph caused some of this problem himself by his arrogant attitude.

Once he reached Egypt however, the story takes on a whole different tone. Joseph is purchased by a wealthy and influential person named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and the captain of the palace guard. The story shows how God blessed Joseph in this new occupation, and how Potiphar recognized that blessing, as the Lord gave Joseph “success in everything he did.” Potiphar put him in charge of his entire household, and “with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” He apparently became a very wealthy man because of Joseph.

But Joseph had one problem: Potiphar’s wife. She kept making advances towards him! Joseph’s response was: “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Joseph was trustworthy both to his earthly master and to his heavenly one. He did not give in to temptation. Unfortunately, when the wife saw she could not get her way with Joseph, she wrongly accused him of attempting to rape her, and Joseph was convicted and put in prison. Not fair! Joseph did all the right things, and look what he got in return!

But Joseph did not wallow in self pity while serving his time in prison. He again succeeded with God’s blessing: “the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” (Genesis 39:21-23)

Then one day Joseph put his ability to understand dreams to good use, by interpreting the dreams of two different prisoners. One was the cupbearer of the king, and the other the chief baker, both of whom had been thrown into prison for reasons we do not know. Each had a dream that greatly disturbed them. Joseph listened to the dreams and gave the interpretation to each one, as God revealed the interpretation to him. The cupbearer was to be restored to his former position, but the baker was to be executed. It happened just as he stated, and he asked the cupbearer to remember him and help him get out of prison. But when the cupbearer got out of prison, he forgot all about Joseph! Unfair! Here was Joseph being good and faithful in everything he did, but he just couldn’t catch a break. A righteous and talented man like him was just wasting away his life in prison for crimes he never committed. Life seemed so unfair!!

But God had a master plan. He had not abandoned Joseph. Everything that had happened to Joseph was part of his perfect plan for his life, and also for the lives of many others. The key here, I believe, is that Joseph never seemed to despair and give up hope. He continued serving God, and was continually blessed, even while he served as a slave first, and then later as a prisoner.

Finally, one day his chance came. Pharaoh the king of Egypt had a dream that none of his magicians could interpret. The cupbearer all of a sudden remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream and the dream of the baker who was executed some two years earlier. So he tells Pharaoh about it, and Pharaoh apparently investigates the matter and orders that Joseph be brought before him. Joseph is cleaned up and given a shave and brought before Pharaoh. Little did he know that all the “unfair” things that had happened to him through the past several years were a preparation for that one day before the king. He interprets the king’s dream which was a prophecy about seven years of abundant harvest followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph recommends that they store up grain during the abundant years to have available during the years of famine. Everyone agrees with the interpretation of Joseph, and Joseph is promptly made second in command of the entire nation of Egypt, second only to the king. Talk about a rags to riches story – this one beats them all!

Later, during the midst of the years of famine, all the surrounding countries come to Egypt to buy grain, because they are the only ones who have any to sell. Joseph, of course, is in charge of the storehouses of food. So imagine his surprise one day when his brothers show up from his homeland to buy grain! They of course do not recognize him, and bow down before him to ask for food to feed their families back home. Joseph’s first dream from so many years earlier had come true! Eventually he makes himself known to his brothers, and arranges for the whole clan to be brought to Egypt, as there were many more years left of drought. The entire Hebrew nation was preserved during that time as a result of Joseph being in the right place at the right time.

As you can imagine, Joseph became very wise and very wealthy. He learned a lot about life and “fairness” and also about how God works everything out to accomplish his purposes. So when his brothers came to him after their father died, fearing that he might take out revenge on them, he replies with the verse we quoted above:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)

He was not bitter towards his brothers at all! He could have said the same thing to Potiphar or Potiphar’s wife, and something similar to the cupbearer who forgot about him: “You messed up and did the wrong thing which was not fair and hurt me, but God took that circumstance and used it for good, and we are all blessed as a result.” Life is not fair, but God is. We may not be able to see the results of current injustices that we are suffering here in this life, but in time God’s justice and his plan will always prevail. He’s the Creator. He wrote the story. He knows the ending, because he wrote it!

It takes faith to believe that God has the kind of knowledge, foresight, and power to make all things work together for his good purpose in the future. The key, as it was in the life of Joseph, is to not stop believing and to not give up hope. When life deals us something unfair, we have two ways to respond. We can respond with anger and bitterness, complaining about our unfair circumstances. Or we can respond in faith, believing that God is in control and will use our unfair circumstances somehow for something positive. One response will reap sickness and despair, the other one health and confidence, the kind of confidence that the world, with its belief in evolution and no master designer controlling everything, cannot understand.

Joseph the dreamer never stopped dreaming, and never gave up hope. He suffered unfairly as a slave and a prisoner for many years. One day his dreams came true, far beyond his wildest imagination. Have you given up on your dreams? Have you believed the lie that the enemy tries to sow in our minds that life is not fair, and so we should just give up hope? Joseph was alone and separated from his family, suffering the unfair circumstances that caused him to be a slave and a prisoner for years, but God had not abandoned him. He simply had to keep faith and wait for his time to come. God never abandoned Joseph, and he has never abandoned you either!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:28-31)

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