Fight the Good Fight

Matthew 14: 13-14 “Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.”

Matthew 14: 22-25 “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.”

How many times has someone come to tax my time and patience, and I send them away with a bug in their ear? How many times have I rightly seen my problems so much larger than those who are following my leadership? Too many times to admit before the world wide web. So many times I become enraptured in my own problems and concerns, even legitimate ones, at the expense of my ability to help others. Christians across the board have come to hold this perspective which they consider reasonable Godly behavior. This perspective would suggest that when Christian individuals have legitimately pressing problems, it is okay to become isolated from the concerns others have, so that one can focus on dealing with with what ever problems are pressing.

This perspective is is almost cliché given the tendency the modern church has to reason rather than read when looking for an answer. The progression of thought and confidence in that thought is morally neutral, neither good nor bad. However, when thought and confidence therein supplants scripture and confidence therein, the issue of thought and reason becomes morally charged, and it is charged negatively. While it is ignorant and backward to say we shouldn't rely on reasoning and thought, it is morally ignorant and backward to supplant scripture with thought. The modern church has done exactly that and applied this morally backward perspective across the board. Morally ignorant Christians have reasoned that if a woman becomes pregnant through rape the execution through abortion of her child should be legal. Morally ignorant Christians have reasoned that God cannot have designed someone to sin because that would not be fair. Morally ignorant Christians have even reasoned that hell doesn't in fact exist. Pastor Rob Bell, and it pains me to have to say pastor, In his book, Love Wins, reasons that since God loves all man He could never condemn them to Hell. These reasoning Christians who think themselves so reasonable, have exchanged faith and truth for reason and thought. Note that these lines of reasoning and thought mentioned all stem from a human premise. If they found these lines of reason and though found their premise in scripture, their conclusions would be radically different.

I have, like many Christians before me, reasoned my way into doing the wrong thing many times. My principle flaw which I reason myself into is thinking that I have a right to time by myself. Now this right might seem reasonable. Especially if that time I spend by myself is between me and God in prayer. However that conclusion I, and many other Christians, have arrived at is not rooted in scripture. Christ's life on earth not only disproves this perspective, but unmasks the spiritually corrupt mindset behind it.

When we are in a time of grief, or just desire a little quiet time with God, we so often tell everyone that, I'm locking this door, don't bug me until I come out. We reason that this is right because we are placing God above all others. But are we? In chapter 14 of the book of Matthew, John the Baptist is executed by king Herod. It is not disputed that Christ and John were very close, so when the news of John's death reaches Jesus, Jesus does what a normal Christian man would to when facing grief. “Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself...” He went to where he could be alone. Thinking about my best friend Cody Stevens, and imagining him being killed for the sake of the casually sensual indulgence of some foreign king, I don't think I'd be able to do much more than seclude myself. We would all reason that the time I was spending alone to think and to pray is only fair. However, Christ does not recognize what is fair, He recognizes what is right. After Christ left to be alone, His followers were not far behind. “When the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” Again if my best friend had just died, and a large crowd was following me around with requests and needs, I would probably tell them to deal with their problems for now because I need this time to deal with mine. However reasonable this sounds, it is not reasonable according to Christ. He not only felt compassion on them and healed their sick, but the passage goes on to detail how He fed the five thousand followers, even though it would be reasonable if He had healed them and told them to go home to eat. Christ's example doesn't end here. After having fed the five thousand, scripture continues the story. “Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.” Finally some well earned time alone for Christ to spend with God to deal with the grief of having lost John. However, verse 24 begins with the most disheartening of words. “But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.” Here Christ has lost one of the most devoted followers He had. A man who most fully grasped who Christ was. A man who had given up everything, living like an animal for Christ. A man who spent every moment of his life preparing the way for Christ. This man died for the sensual whim of a foreign king, and Christ seeks time alone to deal with the grief of this loss. He tries to escape by boat, but five thousand people follow Him with their needs. Christ feels compassion and not only heals them, but feeds them as well. After this he seeks solitude in the mountains. No sooner does He finally get some solitude but His apostles sail their way into a storm which is about to sink them. Christ returns to work, having taken little or no time to deal with His own grief, and like a loving parent comes walking across the ocean to His disciples.

How many of reasonable Christians would have said at every step of the way, Christ, You've earned yourself a moment alone, it is only reasonable that You be given time to deal with Your loss. I would hazard a guess every single Christian who espouses themselves reasonable would have said so. Yet Christ showed Christians how they should act. Many Christians might contend that Christ was super human, that we are not called to do everything He did. But how wrong this is! Christ came and took on flesh, took on the weaknesses of man for the express purpose of showing Christians what they are to strive for. Again Christians contend that it is not fair or reasonable of God to ask us to meet the standard set by Christ. They are right, it is not reasonable or fair, but God is neither reasonable nor is He fair. God is just. In His justice God demands that we pursue victory. He demands we make standing in Christ's shoes our goal, and that we fight every day to attain that goal. That is God's justice, God's forgiveness is what blots out our failure to meet our goal.

Christians are not called by God to attain victory in this life. They are called to fight for victory. The problem with the modern church is they have lowered their goal to what is attainable. If Christians set their goal at flawlessly emulating Christ, they might find themselves as successful as John the Baptist. If they do what the modern church currently does, and set their goal at what is reasonable, they will find themselves in the state they are currently in. A state of immorality, complacency, and ignorance.

I am setting my goal at perfectly emulating Christ's character and faith. And yes, by doing so I condemn myself to a perpetual ever lasting battle which I can never win. But if I follow the example set by the modern church, I would be fighting to attain failure. I will be joining the U.S. Army soon, I will become a true soldier, and if deployed I fully intend to fight and die for my country. If I do not die, I will be able to say before the American people that I did my all, I fought as hard and as long as I could... then I will deploy again. The battle God asks me to fight for Him is much the same. He asks me to fight for victory, and let His forgiveness blot out my failure.

I will fight the good fight. I will bow my knee before God, and I will hear him say with as much love as Christ showed when he stepped out onto stormy waves, well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy master...

The Kevlar of Scripture

 Psalm 33:20 “Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.”

Modern soldiers are asked to step on to battlefields where they expect all men to be their enemies, where traps are laid on the streets they walk, and they can never rest in faith that they are safe from attack. The militants are dressed like everyone else, indistinguishable from native allies. Traps take the form of IED's (improvised explosive devices) which are hidden in places where soldiers are expected to be. Unfortunately, life as a young man can be quiet the same when it comes to thought life. No place is safe, few persons can easily be identified as allies.

 

Young women on average are not out there after me. God has blessed me with a plain appearance that neither particularly repulses young women, nor does it attract them. I count this a blessing since I avoid becoming the target of many young “female militants.” I don't mean this term with disrespect to women in general. The young women who fit the label “female militant” in my analogy are a specific type of young women. They are driven to obtain attention, affection, and emotion from attractive young men without regard to the methodology employed. These young women are aware of their ability to exploit young men's weaknesses and dress and act a certain way to take advantage of that weakness. The actions of these young women are by no means responsible for young men failing, young men have problems and need to deal with them. But like a good soldier young men have to be aware to treat women with a respectful and friendly distance that Christ maintained between himself and women during his walk on the earth. 

 

In addition to the “female militants”, society has it's traps for young men as well. The mall, the billboards on the way to college and back, even the adds at home on the computer, they all act like moral IED's. They are placed strategically so as to hit guys and hit them when they are unprepared. It is no coincidence that they are called “Pop up adds.” Their only purpose is to surprise and defeat. 

 

While my problem does not relate to pornography, it does fall in the same general sin area of lust. I have no young women who pursues me, but those who sell their appearance for simply attention, and the moral IED's that perforate this world cause constant damage to my thought life. My thought life constantly spills over into my actions. It is these actions that torture my mind with guilt and break my heart with sorrow. I take them to God, and feel his forgiveness for my actions, but my failure to repent from this type of sin pattern is a constant burden of guilt I face.

Facing these problems, the militants and IED's, as a lone soldier is certain moral death. No modern soldier, however Rambo, could stand alone against the militants overseas or walk without falling pray to the explosive IED's. Just like these soldiers, no young man can stand alone against the forces temptation and lust without falling pray to traps or being overwhelmed by the militants. 

 

I must then ask myself what then can I do to be protected while I am on earth in what is morally speaking enemy territory. I must put on new protection everyday. It is said that even the best of Kevlar (bullet proof vests) vests if hit twice in the same spot can fail to protect the user. I have found myself now carrying a pocket bible and after feeling temptation shoot at my spiritual vest, I pull out my bible to reinforce my Kevlar vest. 

 

I would recommend a pocket bible to every young man, not as a way to appear holy, but as a legitimate tool to provide a reinforcement to their protection in their mind. A walk across my campus is enough to furnish sustained volleys of temptation which wears at my spiritual vest. If I'm early to class, I like to sit down outside of my class room, put in my ear-buds, and focus on reading scripture. Its a reinforcing practice which helps me not only to avoid temptation, but also enables me to make good judgments with respect to things in general.

I have found that in this modern world, with the amount of danger that is out there for young men and the susceptibility I personally have to struggle with lust, the morning and evening reading of scripture just isn't enough. If I get separated from my little “New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs” bible I become apprehensive and worried that I will get shot at, and be unable to stand. I need God's protection, and I trust in His word to find it.

I will make God my protection, my shield, my Kevlar vest...

Nets of Sin and Life

Matthew 4:20 “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

How often do I find myself saying, I'll start working on really getting rid of that sin pattern when I can sit down and focus on it with God. I think many people in this busy world have similar thoughts, and I firmly believe this was instrumental in bringing our society to a place of ignorance with respect to God, and depravity with respect to morality.

In addition to the lack of time, comes the lack of relative motivation. Homosexuality, abortion, and other morally charged issues have become such large issues that I find myself looking at my morality in a relativistic way. Relative to the worst society has to offer, not relative to the life of Christ. I have suffered from a recurrent pattern of sin that prevents me from developing a close relationship with God. I've told myself that I will eradicate this problem when I have time, and that it isn't really a pressing issue in context of society's greater problems.

This perspective is a true tragedy. Who ever becomes complacent in their sin is lost! Scripture says God reviles lukewarm Christians more than those who reject him. It must be understood that faith must be complete to be real. You do not partially have faith that a bridge will hold you, either you have faith in it or you don't. If I expect God to work in my life I must put all my faith in him, rest in him knowing he will provide all things.

So many times Jesus has walked past me as I sit squatted down amongst all my nets of life and sin. In the Mediterranean coastal region, where Peter and Andrew were born and raised, nets meant everything. They represented your source of food and income. The better your net, the more likely you were to keep a steady source of income. This meant the better your nets, the more likely you were to find a woman's father who would be willing to have his daughter marry you. Nets effectively represented a Mediterranean fisherman's life and livelihood. When scripture says “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” it doesn't mean they handed their nets to someone and said, take care of these and if I come back I need them. It meant they dropped what they were doing, and in pure faith followed Christ.

For so long I've interpreted this passage like everyone else. Christ calls a select few to give up their jobs for full time ministries, and these select few need to be prepared to give up everything. This is what I had been taught since I first heard the story in Sunday school as a child. However, there is a much more pertinent story to be told here. Just as Christ died and told me to die daily, not physically but die to myself, the apostles left their nets and I am to leave mine daily. My nets include anything that attaches me to this world. It must be noted that a person is only ever attached to a net when they are literally caught up in it. For me my nets will be different. It maybe a hobby, it maybe a job, or as in my specific case now it maybe a sin pattern. Whatever the case, I must immediately leave my nets and follow Him.

This doesn't entail stopping my hobby or job, it entails not being caught up in it. In the case where that net is sin, I must get free of that net without making provision to later return to it. I have so long excused my action on this by saying, only God can get me free of this. It is true that only God can give me victory, but I have to FIGHT against sin. Everyday must be a battle which I wage a war for my mind, tactically avoid potential traps, and treat this as a full out battle.

There are three stages a man finds himself in battles such as mine. Where God's spiritual forces are in control and these forces are quelling minor rebellions of the Flesh's remaining resistance fighters who strive to take back over the heart and mind under the banner of sin. The second stage of battle is when the two opposing armies, one of the Spirit and the other of the Flesh, are equally battling it out over the battle ground of the heart and mind. The last stage is where the forces of the Spirit are the resistance, and the forces of the flesh seem in control.

I have found myself in the first of these three stages described. The resistance of the flesh seems to be retreating around and while God's spirit does hold sway in most of my life, that stronghold of the Flesh resistance continues to send raiding parties which infect my actions. Unless I am pro actively trying to fight these resistance fighters of the Flesh I will loose ground.

Leaving the nets of sin, winning the battle for the heart and mind, these are foremost on my mind. But, in order to do either of these things I must immediately follow him. I cannot become complacent in my sin, neither can I delay what has to happen now. With this resolve in my heart I will do two things. Push my school work, my responsibilities, and my fun time into my extra time. I have to take the normal time I have and reserve that for immediately following God. The second thing I will do is wage tactical warfare against the resistance fighters of the flesh. I will strategically avoid places where I might fall to temptation until the resistance is so weak it is no longer a temptation. I will starve the army of the flesh, giving it no fulfilling music, computer games, or imagination time until they are withered beyond fighting capabilities. I will finally feed the armies of the Spirit, let them thrive on uplifting music, both the milk and the meat of God's word, and constant prayer time. If I can fight, not win but simply fight, I can be confident that God will do His part in bringing victory to the battle field of my life.

It all starts with me deciding, I will immediately leave my nets and follow Him...