To Be Truly Free

By Ricky Chelette

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)

I am often asked what is the key to recovery from any kind of sexual struggle, but particularly that of same sex attraction. The answer is loaded with nuance and complexity on some levels, but at its heart, it is likely more simple than we think. 

In over thirty years of ministry I have come to believe the real secret to faithfully following Jesus is a matter of Lordship. Do we really believe that God is who He says He is and has done what He says He has done? Do we really believe that He is a sovereign Lord, Creator of the heavens and earth and all that is in it? Do we really trust He is good and just and loving? 

Paul appeals to us, not by law or rules, but by the “mercies of God.” Paul painfully recognizes the sinfulness of man throughout all of Romans (see 3:23), and knows that the just penalty of our rebellion against God is truly deserving of death (6:23a). However, though we deserve death, God, in His magnanimous mercy and love, has given us life and life abundantly (Jn. 10:10). Paul calls upon this realization to encourage Christians to then entrust their lives and earthly bodies to the One who could have easily destroyed them, but chose to redeem them instead! Oh what a merciful God we serve. 

In response to the mercies we have received, Paul says that we should “present our bodies as a living sacrifice.” Sacrifice was immediately understood by almost everyone in the first century as it was a common practice in the worship of various gods. Sacrifices were the way that man appeased the gods and objects of veneration. But Paul was not speaking of such sacrifice. He knew that Christ had died once and for all for the forgiveness of sin (Heb. 10:10-14; 1 Peter3:18).

So why does Paul mention sacrifice? The sacrifice Paul is speaking of is not the blood sacrifice that was so common in the first century; Jesus has clearly paid that price for us. What Paul is speaking of is a “living sacrifice” – one which is concerned with how we actually live our lives. 

In a day when many advocate an almost Gnostic separation of body and soul, Paul reminds us that we are human beings inhabiting a fleshly body that must be submitted (sacrificed and offered) to the control of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit. Such surrender is Paul’s definition of spiritual worship!

Though we often consider worship that which takes place when we sing praises to God (and it is one part of true worship), Paul reminds us that our everyday, walkabout living, can be worship if we are doing it in a way that is fully submitted to God.

Practically speaking this means despite the desire our flesh may have for satisfaction, connection, and pleasure that is outside the design of our Creator, we must sacrifice those desires to the Lordship of God’s will for us. When we are a living sacrifice we are worshipping God with our whole self. When we worship in this way, we find the fullness of joy and true pleasure at His right hand forevermore (Ps. 16:11). When God is sovereign in our lives, we are obedient to Him. Sin has no place. We are free indeed!

How are you at presenting your mind, soul, and body to the Lord? Does He truly have full reign in your life? Have you truly worshipped Him this week? 

When Hate is Good

By Ricky Chelette

Hate. We hear a lot about that word in our world. It has all kinds of negatives associated with it, and rightly so. We should never hate people and too often we do. This is evidenced whenever we see crimes committed against people or when we fail to defend and protect those who are unable to help themselves. 

But is hate always wrong? Scripture says, "no." In fact, it uses a very severe word "abhor." 

Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (Rom. 12:9)

I believe that one of the reasons we, as a culture or as a Christian, have such a difficult time understanding love is that we have aversion to hate. From Paul's perspective, there cannot be real love unless there is genuine, appropriately directed, hate. The first part of verse 9 says, "Love must be genuine…" and then gives a two statement summation of how that genuine love lives itself out: 1) hating evil. 2) clinging to what is good.

How do we hate evil? Evil is the inclination to oppose the Creator and His Kingdom. Evil is most often manifested in acts of sin we commit. We sin (literally miss the mark), because we, like Adam, fall short of the glory of God. The Good News is that when Jesus died on the cross He freed those who would believe in Him from the power of sin in our lives. Romans 6 speaks specifically about this. When He was put to death, we, who are now in Christ, were also put to death. As a result, we no longer have to allow sin to rule over us, though we are still subject to the evil of this yet unredeemed world. We have died to sin in Christ, and dead people don't sin. 

Then why do we sin? I believe one of the reasons is we don't hate evil or our sin. Sure, we hate evil in the world, but rarely enough to change the way we live. We generally hate other people’s sin most of the time. That is easy. We see the speck in another's eye and are quick to be offended, repulsed, and even outraged while all the while, the beam that is in our own eye is seemingly undetected (Matt. 7:3-5). 

But we are so acquainted with evil and our sin(s) that they have become like our old friends. They feel familiar, comfortable, predictable and dependable. We visit them regularly and give us pleasure. That pleasure temporarily fills the angst in our lives, but ultimately leaves us hungry for more sin. 

Not only does Paul encourages us to abhor (detest, hate, be repulsed by) what is evil in order to love well, but also admonishes us to "cling to what is good." Paul understands the human predicament to want to have something/someone to connect to in our lives. We were not created for isolation, but community. Paul knows that when we cast out an evil mechanism used for support and comfort (our sin), we must replace that evil with something with Someone -- that Someone is Jesus. In order for real love to flourish, we must hate evil in all its forms and continually cling to author of love, Jesus. The only good there is comes from God perfectly realized in Jesus (James 1:17). When we cling to Jesus we cling to what is good!

Do you hate evil? Have you purposefully done everything you can to keep evil and sin out of your life? Have you learned to cling to what is good – Jesus, His Word, His people, and His Church? Have you found Jesus to truly be better than your sin? If you haven't, then your problem isn’t hating too much, it’s not loving and clinging to Jesus nearly enough.

I Want To Know What Love Is

By Ricky Chelette

“Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14 ESV)

I want to live this verse out in my life, don't you? I want people to know I deeply love them, care for them, and desire to see them thrive. 

The problem is, however, that few in our world have a real definition for love. The group Foreigner made famous the lyrics, "I want to know love is. I want you to show me." The lyricist is on to something that points to the real meaning of love. Love is not merely or simply a feeling. Love is an action. 

Love as an action is very confusing for moderns. We live in a world that considers love that which brings the highest level of pleasure or happiness to me. When love’s center is me, it can never really be love at all, but a veiled form of self-deception and ultimate selfishness. This kind of love originates from within me and has no objective reality outside itself from which to gain evaluation or direction. 

Jesus said, " greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends." And then demonstrated that love by dying on the cross for the redemption of man. Jesus demonstrated a new kind of love – self-sacrificing love. A love that seeks to give rather than get. A love that considers others more highly than ones’ self. 

Love is sacrificial -- doing what is best for others without regard for what we get out of it. This kind of real love originates from a God who first loved us so much that He gave His only son (John 3:16). If love originates in me, then it is subject to the sinful desires which emanate from my fallen, corrupted nature (Romans 5:12,19). If it originates from a holy and loving God who demonstrated His love for us, we have a hope for something wonderful and beautiful.

Encouraging people to live into their personal pleasures is not real love, it's a lie. In verse 13 of 1 Corinthians 16, Paul writes, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith…" we don't love by abandoning the teachings of the One who is love, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We do the most loving thing when we consistently point people to the Truth of God's revelation revealed in His Word and live that truth out in our daily lives. 

As the world stands by and watches others heading down a path the Bible clearly outlines as destructive, Christians have an obligation to not only speak out, but help out, extending a hand and heart for the hope that is only found in the liberating truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Does the way you love and live point people to be more like Jesus? If it doesn't, you might want to use another term for what you do. It's not love. Does the way you live invite others to share in community with you; community that is most fully realized in a shared celebration and appreciation of the author of Love, God Himself? May we be found as people who truly LOVE in all we do!

Empty Pursuits

By D’Ann Davis

“And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.”

1 Samuel 12:21

Surrounded by nations with kings, Israel felt envious and requested a king for themselves. This was grievous to the Lord as He wanted His people to want Him as their king. In His displeasure He had Samuel rebuke the people of Israel and called them to something better. Samuel instructed the Israelites in verses 20-21, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.”

Leviticus 20:7 tells us that God is holy, and thus we must be holy. Failure in this separates us from the Father (Romans 3:23). Thankfully though, God sought to reconcile us to Himself through sending His Son Jesus on our behalf, as a propitiation for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 John 4:10). We became the righteousness of God in Him through His sacrifice on the cross per 2 Corinthians 5:21. However, in our disobedience, we also reap the fruits of our sins. We see in this passage that empty things cannot profit us. They do us no good. When we try to find life in our sin and apart from Jesus, we will find ourselves continually empty. He is the only Deliverer. Our empty pursuits do not fill us and make us whole, but instead drive the wedge deeper between the Living Water and our thirsty hearts. Our emptiness and despair will inflame, and our desire to pursue Him will weaken due to the hardening effects of sin.

Instead of foolishly pursuing the things we know will not satisfy us, let us be a people who wisely repent of our folly. Let us heed Samuel’s initial word and not live in fear but instead sharpen our focus to following the Lord. Let’s not swerve to the right or to the left, but let us serve the Lord with all of our hearts. Empty pursuits equal emptiness. Pursuit of the Lord equals life, peace and joy. Let’s choose the right pursuit.

Dear Lord, thank You for affording Your children Christ’s righteousness through His death, burial, and resurrection. Help us to pursue lives in right response to Your sacrifice on our behalf. Help us to see the emptiness of our sin. Help us to feel the weight of it that we might turn to You in our pain. Thank You that You are sufficient to fill all voids we have. Thank You for loving us. Help us to love You in return. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

To Binge, or Not to Binge?

By D’Ann Davis

“In the time of his distress he became yet more faithless to the Lord—this same King Ahaz. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, ‘Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.’ But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.” 

2 Chronicles 28:22-23

Times were stressful in the life of King Ahaz. He was designated as a king who did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord earlier in verse one. As a result, the Lord gave the nation of Judah into the hands of the Syrians and the Israelites, and He had allowed the Philistines and Edomites to invade and win victories throughout Judah. Continuing in his sin, Ahaz did not humble himself and seek help from the Lord, but instead sought help from the Assyrians, a nation that would ultimately be a tool of the Lord to bring down Israel.

Verses 22-23 give some insight into the mindset of Ahaz as he responded to the extreme stressors in his life. He figured since the gods of Damascus had defeated him before and seemed to help his enemies, then he might as well bow down to those gods as well. This refusal to repent and seek the Lord led to his downfall.

A shallow reading of the text might tempt one to judge Ahaz as more foolish than one’s self, but it would be negligent not to realize that anyone can fall prey to this mindset. A fall to a habitual sin does not lead to getting up and walking in repentance, but a further indulgence in the sin. A minor defeat leads to a major acquiescence on the sinner’s part. It is not a minor fall to fantasy, lust, or pornography. It’s a three-day binge. It is not a failure to ignore an ex’s text, it’s a weekend-long or years-long return to sin and death.

As believers we have got to remember that losing a battle to the enemy does not excuse turning to worship that enemy and looking for our salvation from the one who got the best of us in that particular battle. A loss calls for a return to our Deliverer. It calls for repentance to the one true God and King. Let’s stop returning to sin because we took a few steps backward. Let’s get up, move forward, and seek the Lord with all of our hearts and souls, knowing that we have a Great High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Let’s stop binging and start repenting. Let’s find life in Christ and avoid ruin. Let’s learn from King Ahaz’s mistakes.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that You freely offer us in our times of need. Thank You that it was for freedom that You set us free and thus we need not seek salvation in the slavery we fell prey to in our sin. Help us to only worship You and to love You with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Help us not turn away from You to serve other gods but please keep our eyes on You, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace dear Lord. We love You. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Vision

By Darrel Auvenshine

“…the Lord had put in my heart to do…”

Nehemiah 2:12 

Remain true to the vision God has placed in your heart. Is there a certain path God seems to have placed you on; a direction, passion or ministry you feel especially called to? One place we see vision being imparted from God to man is in Nehemiah 2:12. Nehemiah uses the words, “The Lord had put in my heart to do…”.

Vision can be the deposit of dreams or vision for life purpose, direction or a specific task at hand. Certainly God did give Nehemiah the vision of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The report of the condition of Jerusalem came to Nehemiah and with the report came a vision from God. The vision was founded on the point of God’s word, “If you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.”

Nehemiah’s vision was much more than the rebuilding of walls architecturally; the vision was in regard to the return of God’s people to the place where His name is honored.

If possible, complete this statement from your own experience:  “The Lord had put it in my heart to __________.”

What is the foundation or beginning point for the vision? What promise of God are you leaning on in regard to the vision?

Revelation Leads to Intimacy

By Darrel Auvenshine

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel which means God with us.”

Matthew 1:23 

God reveals Himself and our response is worship. The more we see God the deeper our intimacy with Him grows.

Consider human relationships. One of the most meaningful gifts I have from my Dad who passed away in 2005 is a book of questions he took time to answer about himself. Memories from childhood; fears; achievements: favorite foods, sports, hobbies. Etc. The book provided an avenue for Dad to share more completely, who he was with his children.

Or consider the relationship between husband and wife. There is an exposing of oneself to his or her spouse that is unlike any other relationship. Intimacy requires revelation. Of course this applies in the sexual relationship, but goes far beyond that into other areas of marriage. Kim (my wife) knows things about me that no one else knows. The longer we are married the more intimate we become. 

God gave a beautiful example of this reality by sending His only son, Jesus, to be born a man. They called His name Immanuel—God with us. How intimate that God chose to reveal Himself in the form of a man. Not just a man, but a baby. He was so small and tender. 

When you think of your relationship with God, would you say it is intimate? 

Has your intimacy grown as God has revealed Himself to you?