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Category Archives: Holiness

Are You on the Best Dressed List?

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2013 Oscars Best-Dressed

Best dressed at Oscars

Anne Hathaway #1 on Vogue’s List
Lester Cohen/Getty images

Did you watch the Oscars last week? I did not. To be honest, I think the Academy Awards show is boring.

However, I do find the red carpet fashion fascinating. So instead of checking last Monday morning to see who won best actress or best picture, I searched “Oscar best dressed.”

The Google search rewarded me with several pages of fashion list fun. Vogue, Cosmopolitan, the LA Times, Forbes, MTV, and dozens more offered Top Ten Oscar Best Dressed.

Funny though, no two lists were the same. It seems that what qualifies as “Best Dressed” is very subjective. Some like sequins and some don’t. Some adore ruffles and others abhor them. For instance, Anne Hathaway was Best Dressed #1 on Vogue’s list, but I only spotted her on one other list.

Holiness is Always in Fashion

The Bible also has a “Best Dressed” list. In the book of Colossians, Paul tells us very clearly and objectively “what to wear” and “what not to wear.”

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14, NIV

Every best-dressed Christian will be constantly clothed in holiness. Paul describes our holy ensemble with adjectives like compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. And a big bow of love ties it all together.

Paul also clearly states what is always “out-of-fashion” for followers of Christ: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying (See Colossians 3:5-10).

So, what about us? Are we on God’s “Best-Dressed” list? We can’t buy His latest fashion at Steinmart or Macy’s. But through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit we can remove the clothing of our sinful nature and step into the holy clothing that reflects Christ to the world.

Do you need a spiritual fashion makeover? What’s the hardest thing to “take off” and the most difficult thing to “put on?”

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4 Steps for Dealing with Sin

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Monday Minute in the Word, devotionSeveral years ago I was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider. The toxic venom of this small spider contains enzymes that break down cells and tissue. The bite itself often goes unnoticed but the effects begin to show up within a few hours.

It started as just a tiny red pinpoint topped by a blister. By the next morning the red area was about the size of a quarter and slightly inflamed. Twelve hours later, it had grown to the size of a silver dollar. The redness, inflammation, and heat confirmed I needed to get to a doctor.

The nurse worked me into the doctor’s schedule that day. The doctor took the wound seriously and treated it aggressively. During that first visit, they gave me a tetanus shot, a powerful antibiotic shot, and opened the bite to drain the infection. (My apologies to those of you with a squeamish tummy!) The doctor also prescribed oral antibiotics and I returned to his office four days in a row for treatment.

The bite, subsequent infection, and treatment affected my entire body. Because the bite was high on my thigh, in addition to pain and fever, I also had trouble walking for a week or so. That tiny little wound had far-reaching consequences.

Sin is like that spider bite. Even one small little compromise with the ways of the world can work its way through the layers of our lives, destroying everything in its path. Unlike the spider bite, sin’s destruction will reach beyond our own life, affecting the church and everyone around us.

What’s the cure for sinful compromise? Cut it out. Get rid of it completely. The longer we wait, the more radical the action must be.

God shows us a four-step process for radically dealing with sin in the book of Ezra. When Ezra the priest learns that many of the people – including the leaders – had disobeyed God by marrying pagan women, he called them to obedience and boldly led the process for treating the sin condition.

The entire story is found in Ezra 9 and 10, but the heart of dealing with the sin is in Ezra 10:1-17. Ezra guided the people through a four-step course of action to deal with their sin and restore their relationship with God and the rest of the community.

  1. Recognition: The sin in our lives must be identified and acknowledged.
  2. Repentance: Not only must be agree with God that our behavior is indeed sin, but we must also be grieved over it to the point of turning from it in disgust.
  3. Removal: True repentance always leads us to rid our lives of the sin God has revealed to us without delay.
  4. Restoration: The presence of sin strains our relationships with God and other people. The removal of sin brings restoration and renewal of those same relationships.

Believers must deal with sin – no matter how “small” – radically and aggressively before it spreads its poison. Let’s all ask God to show us any “pinpoints” of sin so we can cut it out and commit to lives without compromise.

In what ways have you seen far-reaching effects of even “small” sinful compromise?

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10 Characteristics of a Blameless Life

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Monday Minute in the Word, devotionImagine entering heaven and approaching God’s throne. Picture yourself as you kneel at His feet and bask in the joy of His presence. All the struggles of life fade away as you praise Him who sits on the throne.

Do you long to enter God’s holy presence and joyfully worship at His feet? The woman whose “walk is blameless” (Psalm 15:2, NIV) may dwell in God’s sanctuary and live on His holy hill. I long to enter God’s presence, but I’m not sure I would describe myself as “blameless.”

According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the Hebrew word translated as “blameless” in Psalm 15:2 describes a person with “nothing in his outward activities or internal disposition that is odious to God.”

Good definition, but that’s too general for me to get my mind around. I need some specifics about what a “blameless” life looks like. Thankfully, the Bible tells us. Psalm 15 and 102 describe a “blameless” life (Read them now if you have time. They are not long.) The following list of characteristics is derived from these two psalms of David.

  1. She practices praise – Regularly contemplate the holy nature of God. Recognizing His worthiness will not only foster praise, we will also be moved to obedience.
  2. She lives with integrity at home – Sometimes we fail to purposefully watch our words and actions at home like we do other places. We tend to let our guard down; to allow our first, sinful instincts to rule. We need to be as careful at home as we are away from home.
  3. She turns away from everything vile or vulgar – “Blameless” woman do not compromise with the sinful ways of the world. We don’t allow ourselves to become desensitized to immorality, crudeness, or risqué humor by watching it, reading it, or listening to it. For a sad example, read my recent post “Holiness is not a Shade of Grey.”
  4. She ruthlessly guards against evil thoughts and behavior (vs 3b-4) – We must proactively rid our lives of every thought and action contrary to the nature and character of God.
  5. She does not use her words to tear others down – Our speech should be edifying and encouraging. That doesn’t mean everything we need to say will be easy. But it does mean it will be helpful to the hearer.
  6. She does not collaborate with ungodly, wicked people (vs 3-4) – The only way to never encounter ungodly people is to leave this life and transfer to heaven. However, we can choose not to enter into agreements, projects, or business dealings with people whose worldview is not Christ-centered.
  7. She embraces honesty – Satan is the father of lies. Anytime we are less than honest we have yielded to the tempter! Let’s commit to total honesty in our own lives and conduct. We should also expect honesty from the people around us and distance ourselves from those who refuse to be honest.
  8. She does not seek gain that brings harm to others – God wants us to use our God-given skills, talents, and gifts to support the Kingdom, serve others, and provide for ourselves and our families. However, any effort for gain or advancement that takes advantage of others is sinful.
  9. She squashes pride and conceit – Pride fosters an abundance of sin. Those who want to live blameless before God will seek humility by keeping both God and ourselves in proper perspective.
  10. She helps, encourages, and protects the godly – God calls us to serve others and meet the needs of those who cannot help themselves. Do we respond when they cross our paths?

This may not be a complete list of “blameless” characteristics, but it’s a start. Let’s keep searching God’s Word, applying what He shows us, and enjoying His holy presence!

Which of these 10 characteristics do you struggle with the most? Why is that, do you think?

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Jesus Knew the World Would Hate Chick-fil-A

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Chick-fil-ALast Wednesday I happily waited in a drive-thru line that wrapped around the building and into the neighboring parking lot. It was Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day and I wanted to show my support for the Christian-owned fast food chain. (By the way, I showed my support on Saturday too!)

The Chick-fil-A Controversy

Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A president

Chick-fil-A president & COO, Dan Cathy

In recent years, more and more American corporations have sided with same-sex marriage. Companies like J.C. Penney, Kraft, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola have shown their support with advertising, donations, and employee policies. (See this AP article for more info.) But Chick-fil-A and its president Dan Cathy have continued to stand on biblical principles.

Chick-fil-A has been actively supporting pro-family, Christian groups with charitable donations for a long time, but just last month comments made by Cathy in a Baptist Press interview sparked a firestorm of controversy. Here is Cathy’s response to the reporter’s question about the company’s support of the traditional family.

“Well, guilty as charged,” said Cathy when asked about the company’s position. “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. “We operate as a family business … our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that,” Cathy emphasized. “We intend to stay the course,” he said. “We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

A multitude of media and gay rights groups strongly rebuked Cathy and Chick-fil-A twisting his remarks into “hate speech.” The mayors of Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco proudly declared the chain was not welcome in their cities. As the controversy heated up, Mike Huckabee declared August 1 to be “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” and the country began to take sides.

Why are people mad at Chick-fil-A?

Why such strong feelings over a chicken sandwich? It shouldn’t surprise us that our culture applauds Starbucks for officially supporting gay marriage legislation while it condemns Chick-fil-A for supporting the traditional family. Jesus told us this would happen.

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus spent those last hours preparing the disciples for what lay ahead for them. Jesus warned them that since the “world” hated Him, it would also hate and persecute those who belong to Him (John 15:18-21). So, why did – and why does – the world hate Jesus? The world hates Jesus because His righteousness reveals its sin (John 7:7).

When we live holy lives that reveal the righteousness of Christ the world will hate us for the same reason – our lives expose the sin of the world. When Christians take a stand for Christ and firmly follow biblical principles, the world will respond with persecution. Jesus knew Chick-fil-A would be persecuted by mainstream society in America because it took a stand for biblical principles.

Maybe I’ll take a little heat for this post too. That would be alright.

Have you ever been ridiculed or condemned for taking a stand for Christ or for living out biblical principles?

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To Judge or Not to Judge

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Last week’s post about holiness (“Holiness is Not a Shade of Grey”) initiated very passionate discussions on my site, Facebook, and Twitter. Most comments echoed the need for holiness in every area of a Christian’s life. Other comments raised the question of judgment, even citing Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:1. For instance, is it wrong for one believer to tell another believer she shouldn’t read “Fifty Shades of Grey?”

should Christians judge?, Do not judge

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“Do not judge.” I’ve been studying and praying about this since last week so I could address the question in a biblical way. One of my constant prayers and desires is that whatever I teach or write will be accurately aligned with the truth of God’s Word. So I’ve been in the Word and in prayer. Today’s post – the result of this study and prayer – seeks to answer the question:

When, if ever, is it okay for a Christian to correct another Christian’s behavior or call specific behavior “sin?”

Do not judge?

Here are the two primary Bible passages referenced in last week’s discussion against “judging”:

  • Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (words of Jesus) Matthew 7:1, NIV
  • There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12, NIV

Wait, do judge?

Sounds pretty straight-forward, right? Well, consider these words spoken by the same people in the same biblical book:

  • If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.  But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. Matthew 18:15-16, NLT
  • My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20, NIV

The Bible never contradicts itself

Now what? Those who acknowledge the Bible as the accurate, authoritative Word of God also believe the Bible does not contradict itself. Apparent “conflict” will always stem from our incorrect understanding of a passage or issue and never in God’s truth. One of these two mistakes are often the culprit:

  • We fail to consider the entire counsel of Scripture.
  • We try to interpret one verse or passage outside of the larger context.

The Whole Counsel of Scripture

As we read through the entire Bible, we see these clear truths we can apply to the question of “judging.”

  • God calls His people to holiness. (Eph 5:3, 1 Peter 15-16, 1 Thess 4:4,7, 1 John 3:3)
  • God commands believers to encourage each other to holiness and hold each other accountable in our personal relationship with Christ. (2 Timothy 4:2, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 10:24, James 5:16)
  • God commands other believers and the church to point out sin and call individuals to repentance. (Matt 18:15-17, James 5:19-20, Gal 6:1-2, 1 Cor 5:1-5)
  • It is to be done with love and gentleness. (Gal 6:1, Eph 4:15)
  • The goal is the protection, restoration, and welfare of the believer who has sinned. (Matt 18:15, 1 Cor 5:5, Gal 6:1, James 5:20)

Context of the passage

  • In the larger context of Matthew 7, Jesus does not condemn what we might call “judging” in every sense. To follow His command in verse 6, we will have to make a discerning judgment call. Instead, Jesus condemns a hypocritical, self-righteous attitude that points out others’ failures without first dealing with their own.
  • In the larger context of James 4, James himself points out the sins of the believers and calls them to repentance (James 4:1-10). In verses 11-12, James continues his call to righteous behavior. The problem James condemns is “slander,” a type of judging that is harsh and unkind.

Conclusion about “judging”

Both Jesus and James condemned a harsh, critical “judging” of people’s motives. This kind of “judging” is motivated by a self-righteous, hypocritical attitude. In the whole of Scripture, God clearly commands Christians to lovingly point out sin and exhort each other to holiness. It is not our place to determine their motives, but it is our responsibility as a member of the body of Christ to gently identify behavior that God has already judged to be “sin.” The goal is to reconcile that person with others and with God and to keep the sin from spreading to others (1 Cor 5:5-7, Heb 12:15, James 5:19-20).

So, when and how should we approach another believer about sin?

  • First, check to see if there is sin in your own life.
  • Check your attitude. Only act if your goal is the welfare of the other person.
  • Make sure God calls this behavior sin. Only God has the right to determine right and wrong.
  • Speak in love and gentleness with the goal of protection and restoration.

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. John 7:24, NIV

Let’s Talk. How do you think our “tolerant” culture has affected the way the church approaches this difficult topic?

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