Hebrews II: Like us in EVERY way

Hebrews II

Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17 ESV)

Like Us in EVERY Way

We are very used to the idea of Mass Production.  Make one successful Model T, and then you can copy it exactly, multiple times, in the factory.  Each Model T, coming off the assembly line, is exactly the same (in everything that matters.)

My favorite pet was a wire-haired fox terrier in my childhood.  Every pet I have had since then ends up being compared, at some point in my mind, to that dog.  And no pet has been exactly like Kelly. 

Jesus Christ replaces us on the cross.  Jesus Christ replaces us during His earthly life. 

He can only do that because He was made to be like us.

Not in hair color, sense of humor, food preferences, or sleep patterns.

But in what matters.

Jesus took on a physical body capable of suffering, pain, and death.

He possessed a human heart, mind, and will, experiencing emotions such as sorrow and distress.

He lived under human conditions, navigating life in a fallen world and facing temptation, yet remained sinless.

Unlike humanity, Jesus did not inherit a sinful nature, though He was tempted in all ways as we are.

And thus He, and He alone, can be our savior.

Philemon II: Even More

Philemon II

Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. (Philemon 21 ESV)

Even More

When I do not particularly enjoy a task, or duty, or job, I do what is required, but I tend to do only the bare minimum.  This might include doing the dishes, reading instruction manuals, and answering phone messages.

But when I DO enjoy the task, my attitude is very different.

I want to do more than required.  Mowing the lawn is like that, for me.  Writing a sermon is like that, for me.  Preparing a meal for loved ones is like that, for me.

And Paul knows that Philemon views his tasks, particularly the requests being made by his friend and pastor, Paul, with enthusiasm and joy.

Not merely doing enough to squeak by.

But eagerly, gladly, doing more than required.

Sometimes our godly tasks become routine or tedious.  Things like daily devotions.  Or tithing and almsgiving.  Or being patient.  Or praying.

Let’s have a MORE attitude.

Philemon I: Nobody's Perfect

Philemon I

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. (Philemon 7 ESV)

Nobody’s Perfect

Scripture is on the opposite track than our present cancel culture.  And to be clear, it is not just one side of the political spectrum that condemns a person for a particular failing.  Both sides (all sides) do this. 

But not Paul.

He is writing to Philemon with some serious criticisms.  A slave of Philemon’s, Onesimus, has run away.  And both Philemon and Onesimus are Christians.

Yet Paul begins his letter praising Philemon for his refreshing work in the Kingdom of God.

Yes, Philemon is a slaveholder… and maybe not even a very kind slave owner.  Today, we are not even sure what that phrase would mean…

This is about more than cancel culture, though.  This is about how Philemon is viewed by Paul, and how we are viewed by God.

I have done some pretty serious sinning in my life.  And if God canceled me for them, I would be completely doomed.

But God sees more than my sin… He sees my sins erased by Christ’s atoning work.  AND God sees the value that I am to His Kingdom, even with my terrible sins!  He sees that value in the same way He sees my sin, actually.  He sees Christ instead of my sin, and the sin is erased.  He sees my efforts in the Kingdom of God, and sees them as awesome and wonderful because really, in fact, behind the scenes, in God’s eyes, He sees His beloved Son at work in me.

Christian Cancel Culture denies the power of Christ over every part of our lives.

Titus IX: to show perfect courtesy to all people

Titus IX

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to show perfect courtesy toward all people

Good manners, similar to showing perfect courtesy, seems to be going out of vogue.  We want to say what we want whenever we want without regard to those around us.

But as the People of God… we can present the gospel with our courtesy, with our manners, or with our politeness.  Because it shows respect, selflessness, and love.

Sometimes the world gets this more than we seem to.  Consider these quotes.

Jane Austen:  "Manners is what holds a society together. At bottom, propriety is concern for other people".

Jonathan Swift: "Good manners is the art of making people comfortable")

Adam, in the 1999 movie Blast from the Past: "Manners are a way of showing other people we care about them"

The delightful Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey: "Why do the rituals, the clothes, and the customs matter so much? Because without them we would be like the wild men of Borneo."

Titus VIII: to be gentle

Titus VIII

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to be gentle

Gentle is an unpopular word in the world AND in some Christian circles.  It seems to imply weakness, softness, femininity in males, and EXTRA femininity in females.

But that is not what Paul reminds us to be.

A gentle man (or lady) is not weak, but one who uses authority, ability, position, and opportunity to do good… to help the helpless, rather than win a contest… to put others first, even when (especially when) you could rule by might… to be filled with compassion, passionately… to be active, with every muscle and bit of will that you possess, to bring joy to everyone in your life.

Gentle is humble, because others come first in your gentle mind.

Gentle is risky, because you risk losing in the world’s contest of life.

Gentle is difficult, because we usually aren’t built that way.

Gentle is fun… because it is so very rare.

Titus VII: to avoid quarreling

Titus VII

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to avoid quarreling

When considering Paul’s reminder, I really wanted a cool etymological connection.  If quarreling had the same root as quarry… then Paul could have been saying, “do not DIG for disagreements.”

If quarrelling had the same root as quiver (a stretch, I know), then Paul could be saying, “do not have MANY arguments and disagreements… but hone them down to some key ideas.

While these might be helpful concepts to help us see what Paul meant,  neither of those words has anything to do with quarreling.

But instead, the roots of quarreling have a connection with a word that denotes a hissing, angry, scowling, threatening sound.  And that makes sense.

Paul is not saying never to disagree with untruth.  But do not quarrel.

Let our disagreement be colored with hope, with the joy of Christ, with humility… not with a hissing, angry, scowling, threatening tone.

Titus VI: to speak evil of no one

Titus VI

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to speak evil of no one

This reminder dug into my heart.

Paul, a master of words… said exactly what God wanted him to say here.

He did not say, speak evil of no one, OTHER than dirty rotten sinners.

He did not say, speak evil of no one, OTHER than people who have proven themselves evil.

He did not say, speak evil of no one, OTHER than when people badmouth US.

He did not say, speak evil of no one, OTHER than our foolish, ignorant, stubborn, childish opponents.

He did not say, speak evil of no one, OTHER than Cain, Nebuchadnezzar, Judas Iscariot,  Adolf Hitler, and THAT President you might despise.

Talk is not cheap, you see. 

I think about Christ Jesus defending me before God’s throne.  He could have PLENTY to say about me, honestly.  But He chooses to speak no evil of me… but to take MY evil on Himself.

Speaking evil of others denies the hope the power of the gospel. The joy of fellowship possible in the Spirit.  The love of the Father. 

Speak the gospel instead of evil.

Titus V: to be ready for every good work

Titus V

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to be ready for every good work

The key here is the word, “ready.”

Many years ago, some college friends and I organized a 24/7 dart gun game, called “Assassin.”  We all carried dart guns around campus (and off campus) and hoped to tag other players of the game, without being tagged ourselves.

The game did not have a down time, other than Sundays.

And we had to be ready to defend, ready to shoot, ready to fire, ready to tag, ready to avoid being tagged, ALL the time.

I did not win, because I lacked eager focus.

The young man who won, won because he loved the idea of the game… and was excited to be doing what was expected.  He never tired of it.  He never let his guard down.  He finished as strongly as the rest of us began.

That is like the Christian life.  Rather than go through our days, looking forward to rest, what if we went through our days ready to act kindly.  Rather than organize our schedule, ensuring that every box is ticked, what if we went through our day making sure we had time for acts of random goodness.  Rather than, as we work, rest, and play, making sure we are pleased with our accomplishments, we worked, rested, and played, in ways that were good for those around us.

I know… easier said than done…

But Paul reminds us because it IS something we can do.  Christ gives us the example, the ability, and the power.

Titus IV: to be obedient

Titus IV

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

to be obedient

Our society has elevated the rebel (with or without a cause) to a high position.  We smile at the independent, disobedient toddler.  We cheer on the television character who fights against ‘the man.’  We admire the finger-gesturing speeder who evades a traffic cop.  We turn rebels into heroes, disobedience into nobility, and self-rule into a desirable status.

But we are not our own masters.

We serve Christ… our King… and He notices our disobedience.

In fact, He died because of it.

In fact, He purchased our forgiveness that our disobedience causes.

In fact, Paul’s reminder to be obedient… maybe even to be KNOWN in our culture as obedient… should not need to be said.

Obedience does not lead to salvation.  But Christian’s obedience stems FROM our salvation.

We obey to show we love the Law giver.  But we also obey because He has loved us.

It is not a restraint.  We get to do what He made us to do.

Titus III: to be submissive to rulers and authorities

Titus III

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

I intended to move on from this verse, on to the next key verses in the remaining books of the New Testament.  But the more I thought about it, the more strange these reminders of Paul to Titus sound to our western, modern, quick-minded overly clever world.

So while still TECHNICALLY following the “Key Verse” paradigm… we will spend a few days looking at THESE key reminders and verses from Paul.

to be submissive to rulers and authorities

When we modern, particularly conservative, Christians, think about submitting to rulers and authorities we get our backs up right way.  Delightful democratic ideals have taught us, incorrectly, that WE are our own masters.

But we are not.  God is God.  Jesus, particularly, is King.  And His reign is over every aspect of our lives.  Not a moment, not an idea, not a sphere, not a decision is made, under our own authority.

We do have authority… but only as God (King Jesus) has delegated it.  In fact, this is so true, and so ignored, that I feel the need to state it very clearly.

All authority on earth comes from God.

Whether the earthly wielders admit it, notice it, adhere to is, or act like it.

Our place in this delegation of authority is to submit. 

That is hard to hear.

It does NOT mean we are ordered by God to obey unGodly commands.  But those actually occur in our society a lot less often than we like to think.

We are not, in Paul’s reminder to submit, supposed to submit ONLY to this commands we agree with politically, emotionally, and personally.

Think of Daniel and his friends.  The government which ruled the exiles had MANY commands that these young Hebrews disagreed with.  But the place they made a stand was only where the King’s commands demanded that they purposefully and openly serve false gods.  I imagine they made their discontent with the other, smaller laws, well known.  Daniel was not ever a quiet man.  But they submitted.  Notice, they called the human leader KING.  (They did not post ‘not MY king’ on their websites…)

Submitting to the uncomfortable, the different, the other, the impractical, the silly, the hard, the selfish, is EXACTLY what we are reminded to do.

This is exactly what Christ Himself did… submitting to Judaism.  Submitting to the Romans.  Submitting to the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees.  All the way through a crown of thorns, and death on a cross.  He did not compromise His principles.  But He saved His people.

Because in submitting like THAT… Jesus obeyed God, the delegator of all authority.

Remember to do likewise.

Titus II: Weird

Titus II

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.  (Titus 3:1-3 ESV)

Weird

These reminders sound old-fashioned, simplistic, un-modern, and maybe not very American.  But these statements of Paul’s to Titus’s church-folk are undoubtedly exactly what they needed to hear.

And we do, too.  Paul here takes potshots at his readers… and this mind sound like potshots against us, too.

So be it.  Let’s apply these reminders to US.  Not to our neighbors, or frenemies, or enemies.

Think about how more righteous, peaceful, and joyful our society would be if we submitted to our God-brought authorities.  Obviously not when authority goes against God’s word.  But both conservative and liberal Christians are often only willing to think submission when OUR party is in power.

And obedience? In situations where public obedience is asked, we obey when convenient, easy, or what we would have done anyway.

These days we seem ready to do every self-protective work… and do not pay attention to simply doing the obvious good thing.

We speak evil of others frequently… whether justified or not… which is SO different than Paul’s reminder here.

We do not avoid quarreling… we seek it, and elevate it as a civic (or religious) virtue. 

We choose defensive or offensive mindsets rather than gentleness.

And courtesy… I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes:  Manners are things we do to make OTHERS feel comfortable.  We do not do that.

I think Paul is reminding us of these things, too.

Titus I: Remembering

Titus I

 For we ourselves were once foolish, (Titus 3:2 ESV)

Remember

I had a celebrity for a guitar teacher in my youth.  At least a celebrity for me.  He played the guitar on a radio show, The Children’s Bible Hour.

He was a rare breed, as a music teacher.  He never rolled his eyes at my mistakes.  He never guilted me into practice.  He did not criticize my repeated ignorance or backsliding of knowledge.  He was patient while still being exact.  He was understanding while still asking dedication.  He smiled a lot, I thought, for what looked like a grumpy old man.

When I eventually stopped taking lessons from him, I asked him why he acted so different than my other teachers.

He replied that he remembered what it was like to learn.

We Christians need to remember that teacher’s outlook.

Maybe you are not a teacher, a preacher, or a spiritual guide.  But you still teach, present the gospel, and point people to Christ every day… whether you are aware of it or not.

And our gospel-ing is better when we remember our own sin, both past and present.

Our gospel-ing is better when we remember our own struggles, both past and present.

Our gospel-ing is better when we remember all the ways WE needed Jesus… as well as the ways we still do.

Call it remembering. I call it remembering Paul Storm.

II Timothy IV: Rescue

II Timothy IV

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom (II Timothy 4:18 ES)

Rescue

I have been involved, on both sides of the equation, in some rescues.  And these rescues tend to have three things in common.

First, the person in trouble must realize they are in trouble.

Second, the rescuer should have the necessary abilities to rescue.

Third, a rescue has to be successful to be called a rescue.

I recall a small sailboat on the other side of a wind-whipped lake.  I and a friend took a speed boat through the storm, and helped the sailor stave off disaster.  He needed help, and he knew it.    My friend and I were well prepared.  We had the right equipment, and both of us knew how to handle a boat.  And in the end, the sailor (and his boat) were rescued.

Those same three elements are involved in Christ’s rescue of His people.  We have to realize that we need help, and that we need help ONLY from Him.  He, alone in the universe, has the ability to rescue His people through His life, death, and life again.  And His rescue of His people worked.  We are rescued.  We are heaven bound, instead of hell bound.

Christ rescues because of all three parts.

II Timothy III: Always

II Timothy III

 …preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (II Timothy 4:2 ESV)

Always

We do not plant flowers in January.  That would be planting out of season. 

When I was growing up, my mom would take us clothes shopping at the end of August.  Just in time for school to start.  We did not generally buy new clothes in February.  That would be out of season.

I do not usually start watching a movie at 11:00 pm.  That would be out of season.

I rarely make a tasty unhealthy snack at 11:55 am.  That would be out of season.

But Christians preach the Word of God w seems like a good time, or not.  Whether our desires, energy, and perceived opportunities make us say, “NOW” or not.

Whether it is the time that seems right to us… in season… or not… out of season.

And preaching the word does not only mean speaking words.  It is always the right season for gospel-ing through acts of kindness, through forgiveness, through patience, through generosity, through protecting the defenseless, through copying Jesus, through smiling warmly often, through remembering the richness of God’s Grace to us... and acting graciously, too.

In season or out of season.

II Timothy II: Rightly

II Timothy II

…rightly handling the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15 ESV)

Rightly

I rejoice that the Bible is available in almost every language.  I even have a Pirate Talk Bible.

But the commonness of Scripture sometimes leads to an unfortunate attitude.  Since we all can read, since we all have the Bible in our language. since the message of the gospel IS clear and understandable…

We begin to think that we get to read and use the Bible in any way we desire… and make it say whatever fits our own worldview.

But Paul, in saying that it is important to RIGHTLY handle the Bible, implies that there are WRONG ways to use it.

Proof texting… lucky dipping… rarely opening it… reading ABOUT the Bible more than reading the Bible… all of these might be wrongly handling the Word of God.

Note… that the Bible will still touch us even if we use it wrongly.

It IS the Word of God.

But using it rightly is just as important as using our phone’s features rightly, or our ice skates rightly, or our engineering caliper rightly, or our espresso machine rightly, or our car’s brakes rightly.

Maybe more so, in fact.

II Timothy I

II Timothy I

…if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. (II Timothy 2:13 ESV)

UNEXPECTED

Not only do we humans tend to like someone who first liked us… but we STOP liking someone who first stops liking us.  Whether it is a third-grade crush, a politician, or a dog… we respond to dislike with our own dislike.

More than that, when someone else breaks their word to us, we write them off.  When someone else lies, we write them off.  When someone else shows themselves to be other than what we first hoped or believed, we write them off.

When someone is unfaithful to us, we feel completely justified in breaking off all relationship with them.  They broke the deal first, after all.

It seems just and right for us to act like that.

But that is not how God reacts to our unfaithfulness!

In fact, it is part of who He is… He is faithful to His people, even when we are unfaithful to Him.  He is faithful to His people even though we are unfaithful to Him.

If God acted like us, none of us would survive.

God would respond to our unfaithfulness with a breaking of His salvific promises to us.  It would be fair, after all, by our standards.

But instead… He is faithful to His promises to us… even when we are not.

He does it through the life and work of Christ, the Messiah.

I Timothy IV: Sin-Wrecked

I Timothy IV

For everything created by God is good. (I Timothy 4:4 ESV)

Sin-Wrecked

When things break, I like to know how and why.

It is not enough to know which bolt broke, which electric circuit fizzled, or which bit of plastic wore away.

To fix the broken, it helps to know how and why the broken thing broke.

This is true in auto mechanics, cell phone repairs, gardening, and relationships.

So it matters that when we notice (how can we not?) that our world is broken, that we understand how and why it broke.

What is the origin of bad weather patterns?  What is the origin of increased violence?  What is the origin of society’s polarization?  What is the origin of prejudice, hatred, impatience, and suspicion?

God created everything good.

What happened?

While we might like to blame other folks’ bad decisions, or natural decay of all things, or some particular political group, or strangers… none of those things broke our world.

Sin broke our world.  Breaks our world.  And will continue to break it, for a while.

And knowing that, we know the real solution to what is broken.

The only solution to sin is the Christ.

Of course, I realize that the practical steps needed to fix our broken world take time, understanding, wisdom, and care.

But until the reason for the problem is acknowledged, we will not fix anything.

I have a friend who signs every email, “Jesus fixes everything.”

Because He does.

I Timothy II: King's Job

I Timothy II

 …for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (I Timothy 2:2 ESV)

King’s Job

In society, we usually expect our National Government to model our goals, priorities, and ideas.  If we seek profit, we want our leaders to bring our nation to profit.  If we desire power, we like our leaders to act powerfully.  If we value education, we want our leaders to prioritize education.

It just makes sense.

Notice that Paul prays for his kings to enable citizens to have peaceful and quiet life… more than that, Godly and dignified lives.

Because Paul, not just as a preacher and Bible-writer… but as a Christian, yearns for a peaceful, quiet, Godly, and dignified life.

He does not yearn for power, because Paul knows Christ IS power.  Paul does not yearn for profit because Paul knows Jesus’ words:  "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)

He does not yearn for vain knowledge, because he seeks wisdom… in Christ.

So Paul prays that the King, his King, his leaders, will bring to reality what Paul knows society needs.

Let’s join him in that prayer, even in these later years.  We still need it.

I Timothy I: Foremost

I Timothy I

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (I Timothy 1:15 ESV)

Foremost

I have bragged about being the best swordfighter (in seventh grade) using yardsticks as broadswords.  I have bragged about performing many, many weddings.  I have bragged about watching every episode of every Star Trek series.

And I expect people are very impressed with at least some of these.

But is not Paul a little strange to brag about being the foremost sinner?

But it is not false humility.  It is not pride in sin.  It is not self-hatred expressed in self-condemnation.

But as Paul usually does… he is bragging about Jesus.

Paul knows what Paul has done… Paul knows Paul’s sins.  Paul knows Paul’s Sin.  Paul knows that Paul’s insides are a lot messier than people might think.

But Christ is more.

Christ’s sacrificial life, and death, and life, are more.

Christ’s grace is more.

Paul is not bragging about himself, here.  He is bragging about Jesus.

We need more of that kind of bragging.