Turning a Fool

Today, we close out this 4-part mini-session on the topic of fools.  To begin....
Remember the biblical definition of a fool, given three posts ago:  a person who despises the wisdom of God.  (Proverbs 1:7) (Psalm 14:1)
But, there is a continuum, a range.

People can range from being an utter fool, who declares there is no God, no moral authority based in scripture, and who live their lives according to what they believe to be right.  And, at the other end of the continuum are those who believe in God, revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, but at times ignore certain aspects of His wisdom.
Examples:
1.  The atheist
2.  The well-meaning Christian who is tempted by some physical substance.  He/she knows that the substance is harmful to the body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.  But, oh how delightful that sin is! Accordingly, he/she falls into it, at least occasionally.
The first example lives continually in the realm of foolishness.  The second lapses into foolishness from time to time.
And, there are all kinds of degrees in between these two extremes.

Knowing and loving an utter fool is the epitome of heartbreak.  Most of us have at least a passing acquaintance with one and can "see" that person (or persons) in our minds' eyes right now.  What does the Bible tell us about hope for these acquaintances, friends, loved ones?

At first glance, it does not look good.
Proverbs 10:8 tells us that the end of an utter fool is utter ruin.

However, I remind you that all people are fools at one time or another.  Before coming to Jesus Christ, we who are now His beloved, were completely lost, the biggest fools ever!  And, He rescued and saved us!

3For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)

Can we just stop, Christians, and praise Him and love on Him for that!  Oh, Hallelujah!

This is part of the heartbreak of loving an utter fool. We want our loved one to know that joy and peace which come from a relationship with the Lover of Their Souls!
Ok, so let's begin with what NOT to do in "turning a fool".

1.  Do not quarrel with her about her viewpoint.  This will get you nowhere.

If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

Proverbs 29:9 (ESV)

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

Proverbs 9:7 (ESV)

This does not mean that you should not attempt to persuade, have civil discussion, share books, etc.
It does mean that you should not allow yourself to descend to their foolish methods of uncivil quarreling.  Any attempts at persuasion should be done with love and respect.

2.  Do not embrace a fool as a cherished friend, because the fool's foolishness will taint your Christian walk.   This is a hard one to accept.  But, you will not "turn a fool" by hanging out with him and participating in his foolishness.  Foolishness is seductive.  You may find yourself believing worldly philosophies as a result.  When the Bible says, "Bad company corrupts good morals", it means it.  This is especially a pitfall of dating.  I cannot tell you how many of my friends over the years have lamented because, as a Christian, they dated a non-Christian, whom they eventually married.  And, their spouse's indifference or downright hostility to the love of God broke their hearts.
Don't "go there" in your cherished relationships. Again, foolishness is seductive.  (Proverbs 9:13-17)
Here's another verse along those lines:

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)

So, where is the hope for a fool?  What CAN you do?
Let's look back at the verses from Titus.  Notice verses 4 and 5.
It is God who turns the heart of fool to Him.
While He can use us, it is His Holy Spirit who ultimately does the conversion of a fool to a saint.
Our role in turning a fool is as follows:

1.  Demonstrate the love of Christ.
Help, but don't enable.  Forgive.  Be generous.  Be humble.  Be Jesus in their lives.  You may be the only Jesus she ever sees!

2.  Pray earnestly.
I don't mean occasionally pray.  Labor in prayer for him!
Pray that she will get weary of her foolishness.
Ecclesiastes 10:15 tells us that "the struggles of fools wear them out".  Sometimes, people have to get to the absolute bottom before they will look up to God.  While we never want our loved ones to have to experience, pain, loss, devastation or despair.  Those may be tools God will use to draw him or her to Himself.  Pray "whatever it takes, Lord Jesus, to draw them to You." (1 Corinthians 5:5)
Pray that the "goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior" will appear to her.
Pray that the eyes of his heart will be opened.
As you are led, even fast and pray.  Let your prayers storm the gates of Heaven on behalf of your foolish friend.
The Lord knows your heartbreak.  He has felt it untold quadrillions of times over, due to the waywardness of HIS beloved....

3.   Praise and Trust
When you get "down" over the spiritual state of your friend, praise your Savior!  Praise Him for His great love and for His sovereign will in each of our lives.
And, then trust Him.
It is very hard to trust God when you see someone you love wallowing in folly, like a pig rolls in muddy filth and grunts with enjoyment, when you see a loved one careening off a cliff to destruction.
You may not like the path God sovereignly has your friend on; but, you can still praise Him for it.
Remember this:  our heartfelt praise breaks spiritual strongholds, breaks the chains of the enemy. Our magnificent God "shows up and shows out" when we praise and trust Him!

3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’

Luke 15:3-7, 21-24 (NIV)

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your longing to welcome us home!  No matter the state of our souls, the extent of our waywardness, the depths of our foolishness, You always stand ready, arms wide open.  
Lord, I'm amazed by You.  
Now, unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before His presence with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever, amen.

Misapplication of Grace?

I've often wondered how frequently the apostle Paul was haunted by his own past, after becoming a Christian.  Perhaps his spiritual ability to receive and to communicate the grace of God sprang from that grace liberally applied to his own life.  As a reminder, Paul (while named Saul) had many Christians killed for their faith, while he zealously persecuted the Christian movement.  He had much to be forgiven.

(If we are honest with ourselves, don't we all?)

This morning's news program featured a U.S. Congressman who was railing against the fact a certain public figure had committed numerous legal transgressions.  Yet, no action has been taken or is being taken against her.  She is unrepentant.  There seems to be, increasingly, an uneven, one-sided application of justice in our country, a "misapplication of grace".  Those who are of a certain political persuasion or social class or of "greater value to society" are apparently "above the law".

This misapplication of grace is rather prevalent in our country.  Admittedly, it is a conundrum.  As a parent, for instance, it is very hard to know when it is best to hold our children responsible for bad decisions and when to "rescue" them, when to give grace.

For some, the story of Onesimus rankles.  It bothers them that this thief is being "let off the hook". To them, Onesimus will always be defined in light of his mistake; he will always be viewed a thief.  Of course, we do not know all the details of the story.  We do know this, though, that Paul is requesting
a.  to pay the debt Onesimus owes his master, Philemon
b.  that Philemon treat the returning Onesimus as a brother in Christ, as opposed to merely a slave.

The entire book of Philemon is a picture of God's grace to each of us.  The heart of the letter is love, the "law of God the Son".  Paul, here, represents our Triune God.  Onesimus represents every repentant sinner. Philemon represents the Church.

1.  Paul represents God.
He does not force Philemon to accept Onesimus although, with apostolic authority he could have ordered Philemon to obey.  Paul instead reminds Philemon that it was through Paul's ministry he was led to Christ.  He appeals to Philemon on the basis of love.  Father God treats us the same way.  He does not force.  He invites.   He appeals.  He beseeches.
Paul also represents the Father in that he pays the price Onesimus owes (vs. 18-19), just as Jesus Christ, God the Son, did for us.

2.   Onesimus represents slaves like we (are/were).
He had gotten himself into a situation from which he was unable to free himself. He owed a debt he could not pay.  In trying to fix his own situation, he only made it worse.  However, upon hearing the gospel from Paul (which is not to say he had not already heard it in Philemon's household), he accepted God's "fix", God's solution to his sin problem...salvation through grace/faith in Jesus Christ.
So, Onesimus is not being "let off the hook".  Rather, a tremendous price was paid by God to "make things right" for him positionally and eternally, the price of God's own Son.  Being accepted in Christ does not automatically free the new believer of the consequences of sin here on Earth, as we all know. Physical scars remain.  Nor does salvation cause us to never sin again in this world.  Sin ever seeks to again enslave us, pursuing us as a cheetah pursues a gazelle.

3.  Philemon represents the Church, the brotherhood of the saints.  Oh how hard it is to model ourselves after the character of God, according to His Holy Spirit who lives within us!  Perhaps Philemon struggled with this as well.  Satan tempts us to deal with each other harshly and with an unforgiving spirit.  Again, the key here is that Onesimus was a changed person, a repentant brother in Christ.  Nowhere in Scripture is the covering-over of sin applauded. This letter is not advocating overlooking sin or condoning a lack of confession or repentance. True restoration must contain those elements before restorative grace can be applied to one another and fellowship reaffirmed.
May we never be a Church that defines repentant sinners in light of their sins.  Instead, may we "remember them against them no more" (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12)

I am reading a book that contrasts the Muslim faith with the Christian.1  The writer, a former devout Muslim, now a devout Christian, points out that Muslims struggle mightily with the concept of the Christian God's grace.  It is totally foreign to them.  "Why obey if you are already forgiven everything?"  The Christian's answer:  the law of love.  He/she who has been forgiven much, loves much.  (Luke 7:47)

The Bible does not tell us whether or not Philemon received the transformed Onesimus as he would receive Paul, who led the both of them to faith in Christ.  But, I imagine he did.  May we do the same.

Father God, I have so much for which to be forgiven, day in and day out.  But, I marvel at Your eternal grace, which has covered all my sin.  I pray that I may never make you ashamed of the grace You so lavishly poured out on me.  May I be even more emboldened and empowered to share that message of grace with others, who don't yet know You, who so desperately need to hear it, who so deeply desire to turn from their sins and find their eternal salvation (their soul's rest) in You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   Qureshi, Nabeel (2016). No God but one: Allah or Jesus?: A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Full

The French have an expression: "Vivez le vie pleinement!", which basically means, "Live life to the fullest!"

I think it would be an interesting thing to do one of those "man on the street" polls and ask people this question: "What does it mean to live life to the fullest?"  Here are a few of the answers I think you'd hear:

• Be goal-driven.  Only you are responsible for your own success.
• "I did it my way!"
• Embrace failure, so you can learn from it.
• Conquer your fears.
• Live to please yourself.
• Live to please others.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Make a bucket list and check it off.

You get the idea.  Some would say that Mark Zuckerman lives life to the fullest.  He developed a product where there was a need, and that product has become wildly successful.  Some would say that Prince lived life to the fullest, but he died relatively young under less-than-ideal circumstances (jury is still out on that one...).  Some would say that Mother Theresa lived life to the fullest.

I guess it all depends on your point of view.

What does the apostle Paul say about a life lived to the fullest?  The Bible's answer is totally opposite to the world's prescription for fullness of life.
Today's text is Ephesians 3:14-19.

14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

1.  Paul emphasizes that, in order to live life to the fullest, we must first reach out and experience the love of Jesus Christ.  This begins by opening the door to Him and inviting Him in, to possess you, and to mark you as His by giving you His Holy Spirit.

Many people do not want to surrender themselves in this way.  In fact, they go out of their way to avoid what they view as a capitulation.  The rocker, Jimi Hendrix, typified this view when he famously said, "I'm the one who's got to die, when it's time for me to die; so, let me live my life the way I want to."

I maintain that one reason for their resistance is that they have never comprehended the love of Jesus Christ, which is why Paul emphasizes that our feet must be firmly planted ("established") in this great truth.  To be able to see oneself honestly, from hopelessly sin-plagued sinner to reborn, redeemed saint, and all this due to the magnificent love of Christ, is treasure indeed.  Fullness of life begins here.*

2.   Then, Paul goes on to talk about inner strength, something we all need to weather the ups and downs of this life.  The "downs" can steal away that joy, that fullness, if we aren't watchful.  As we open ourselves more and more to Jesus Christ, He works in us fullness, abundance by giving us His glorious, inner strength.  His Spirit works deeply and gently within us.

Although it is the world's way, our glory-grabbing never leads to fullness of life.  Christians, those who truly know Jesus Christ, recognize that all of our dreams are from Him and all our "accomplishments" are through Him.  And, for this reason Paul extols at the end of this chapter, ascribing all the glory - - -all of it - - - to God.

3.   The capstone of fullness of life is praising and worshipping our incredible God for the things HE has done.  Here is where I tend to fall down and lose some of my joy.  I forget to praise Him and thank Him when my tank is running low.  Satan sneaks in with discouragement and despondency. The only way to fend that off is to re-frame, re-focus on God's truths and then to praise Him for His magnificent work.  Look at Paul here - - - he got down on his knees and not only petitioned God for the Ephesian church, he glorified, praised and thanked God in prayer!  What a wonderful example He provides us in the apostle Paul!

Father, thank you that You made for all those who seek and choose You the path to abundant life. To paraphrase Psalm 16:11 - - - I praise You that You made known to me the path of life.  I'm so grateful that in Your presence there is fullness of joy and that at Your right hand are eternal pleasures! In Jesus' name, amen. 

Sources:

Here are some great, classic books on the love of God.  If you have trouble with this first step, I recommend you check out one of these:

1.  God's Love, by R.C. Sproul  http://www.amazon.com/dp/143470422X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0849910811&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ARTXHKD5NTAJ44GD3HG

2.  The Love of God, by John MacArthur  http://www.amazon.com/Love-God-John-MacArthur/dp/0849910811

3.  God Loves Broken People, by Sheila Walsh  http://www.christianbook.com/god-loves-broken-people/sheila-walsh/9781400202454/pd/202454?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C202454&p=1179710&gclid=Cj0KEQjw3-W5BRCymr_7r7SFt8cBEiQAsLtM8lJ259j7cdPlOZtFmavtBhAgEMuUiTfQcJv428Wp5WQaAnuu8P8HAQ