Christ Esteem: The Answer to Self-Esteem

This was originally written on April 14, 2011

Self-esteem is a psychological concept which has worked its way deeply into Christianity. Is it or is it not a biblical concept? Let me briefly review “self-esteem”.

Abraham Maslow came up with his “need” theory and developed his pyramid to explain his “hierarchy of needs”. The “base needs” are our primary needs: food, shelter, water, etc. Moving up the pyramid we have the “need to be loved”, the next our “self-esteem” needs, the next “self-actualization” to the apex of the pyramid a “peak experience”. The peak experience is any revelation which has drastic significance in your life, for many a religious experience. There is no argument that we each have needs as does mankind collectively. We cannot live on an isolated island without going crazy. My first issue (among many) is the “need for self-esteem”, which may redirect an individual to the higher esteem needs, which psychologically, are at odds with Christianity.

What is “self-esteem”? It's a sense of personal worth and ability of the individual. If you don't have it, you have a “lack of self-esteem”. It has become so silly that competing children get trophies for losing a contest. This sets children up for greater disappointments in later life where adults don't get trophies for losing. Many of us are in fact losers in many categories, but if you're a Christian you are a winner for Jesus loves you as you are. Jesus calls on us to be meek (lack of vanity or self-importance: humbleness, humility, lowliness, modesty). So God wants us to be meek.

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

As you read James, remember that Adam and Eve weren't punished for being meek... they wanted to be as God!

The “formula” from James gives the prescription for high “self-esteem”. That medicine is a high dose of focusing on Christ and his grace. You submit yourself as a meekly servant to him and he will meet your needs . As you humble yourself (reduce self-importance) “he will lift you up”!

But you say... “She has really low self-esteem”! Here is what God's word says “Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”

Those folks should come to Jesus, focusing on Him as their personal Savior, repent and profess belief and He WILL help. I call this not “self-esteem”, but “Christ Esteem”. You see, the difference is on whom you focus. If you put Christ first the self and its miserable condition is not even a priority. As you esteem Christ “he shall lift you up” right out of your doldrums and rut!

I describe this “Christ Esteem” by the same pyramid, only inverted (the apex at the bottom) and refer to it as “Needs Satisfied by God”. At the apex is “Salvation”, followed by “Sanctification”, then “Christ Esteem”, “Love of Others”, and then the basic primary needs; for Jesus says that he will meet all our needs. This I call the “Christ-Centered” model compared to Maslow's “Self-Centered” model.

Does this mean that you'll never feel badly about yourself? No. Sometimes we should. Sometimes it is undeserved. However, the answer in all cases is to let Jesus meet your needs. He WILL meet all of them! And by the way... Maslow's is open to any religious experience with any God or even the self. The only “peak experience” man needs is salvation through Jesus.

Blaming... or forgiving? Which?

We call "blaming" "passing the buck". Blame is failing to take responsibility for a person's own actions. We kiddingly say that "blame" is the 5th phase of a 7 Phase Project. Blame is the game. It's not new and it's still the rule, not the exception! Here's the first blame game:

Gen 3: 11 "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?  12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Adam and Eve had just eaten of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil". God had forbidden them to do that. God specifically told Adam not to eat of the tree. Look what Adam said... He blamed "that woman", a term even presidents use today!  Then God turned to Eve. What did she say? It's the fault of the serpent!  Did the serpent disobey? No, he deceived her, but she was the deceived. She was the one in disobedience. It's went steadily downhill from there!

Shift gears to now.  A man was seen in the gutters drinking his cheap wine. When asked why, he said "My father was a drunk... what would you expect?"  Another man who was successful in all things was asked "To what do you credit your success?" The man replied My father was a drunk and I didn't want to be like him... what would you expect?" The two men were brothers! One blamed his father for his failure in life; the other changed his destiny because of his father without blame!  Losers blame... winners create their own fame!  Are you a winner or a loser?

Today many people use their parents as the reason that they're dysfunctional. I've heard so many people say "I don't like religion because my parents forced me to go to church!' Let's examine that statement.

What is the responsibility of parents?
 

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) 6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

If a parent fails to provide moral and religious training for his children he is guaranteeing disobedience. If he obeys and trains the chid properly the child will be properly trained for life!  Some permissive parents say "I don't want to force religion on my child. I'll let the child wait until grown to decide for themselves!"  Guess what? Permissive parents have just decided their destiny. It is extremely likely that the child will never get proper guidance and make a wrong decision about eternal destiny. The permissive parent just doomed the one they love!

 

Secondly, parents "force" their children to do most things. Why should "go to church" be any different? I was forced to go to school, I was forced to work in the yard, I was forced to hoe the garden.  I was forced to eat dinner with my family and I was forced to obey my parents in numerous other things. Why is religion so different?

 

Lastly, parents force their children to go to church so that they will understand what Christ did for them. They would never know unless they're taught, just as the Eunuch said:

Acts 8:30 "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

That's exactly why we "force" our kids to go to church! "... except some man should guide me!"  We take our children to church to dispel ignorance... to increase their knowledge... so that they may learn what parents know as truth!  We take our kids to church so that they can have hope, yet we're "blamed" because we're good parents!

People just don't take responsibility for their own poor decisions and tragic actions!  When asked why he stole the money a thief said "because it was there for the taking" insinuating that theft would not have occurred if the rightful owner hadn't been so careless, although the carelessness was trusting people! 

There has been much talk of Trayvon Martin. Proponents of continuing the persecution of George Zimmerman blame:

1) The jury was unfair.
2) The judge wasn't impartial.
3) The court were selective in the evidence.
4) The Florida Law is wrong.
5) Society is against minorities.
6) ad nauseum

Anyone's death is disastrous and I was early "blamer" of George Zimmerman!  I didn't understand how a big older security guard could kill a 12-year old kid with snacks coming back from the store. I blamed because I was deceived! The photo shown was of an innocent 12-year old boy. The actual person was 17 years old and a big boy. I blamed because I was told that Zimmerman was a bully who was playing cop. I was told wrong! He was a caring guy who worked with kids including minorities. I was told that Zimmerman was racial profiling. I was deceived by the media. They gave information without full context. I blamed Zimmerman!

Then the facts came out. As Sgt Friday used to say on the detective show Dragnet "Just the facts mam, just the facts!" Facts showed that Trayvon was the bully. Trayvon was the assailant. Trayvon was the drug-user. Trayvon was the one who racially profiled using the word "cracker" to describe Zimmerman. I blamed Zimmerman, but I was wrong. Martin was a victim of unfortunate circumstances, but he was violent with Zimmerman using the sidewalk as a deadly weapon. We need to quit blaming and just say "Trayvon has the same problem as many teenagers do today. He reacted wrongly to a confrontation!" I've reacted wrongly in similar circumstances myself, but I avoided danger. Don't blame Zimmerman. He believed he was proetecting himself from a grown man! Stop the blame game and accept the truth: "Many parents do not bring their children up as the Lord would have them do!"

What's the solution? Do we make more laws which favor one race over another or one sex or another? Do we take away all weapons of protection so that only criminals are armed? Do we void all laws which proetect ourself and our families? The answer is "No!" We are a nation of laws and laws can't dictate love. We have a race problem and there is one cure. Quit blaming! Love one another. It's hard to love the group of people who're always blaming others for their plight! 

Love starts at home. Parents, love your child enough to teach them civil behaviors. Teach your children to be self-controlled. Teach your children to avoid violence. Teach your childrem knowledge! "The word is mightier than the sword!" Above all teach your child the love of Jesus. Jesus is our common ground. Quit "blaming" others for your predictament and even doing it in Jesus" name! 

My child can do wrong! Your child can do wrong! Sometimes we need to quit over-protecting them and let them suffer the consequences of their actions. I'm not speaking of death. I'm speaking of unbalanced parents failing to admit that their kids aren't perfect. I wasn't perfect, far from it, my parents knew it, but still loved me and taught me right!

Was George Zimmerman totally innocent? The jury looked at the evidence and in this case they evidence proved him innocent of all charges. The U.S. Attorney General appears to want an innocent man jailed because he's playing the blame game too! Imprisoning a man found innocent will not restore the life of Trayvon Martin. A Christian should look at this unfortunate occasion to forgive the person who feels badly that a young man died! A Christian doesn't seek revenge. A Christian doesn't blame!

How does a Christian treat an "enemy"? Romans 12:20 "Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."  You treat your enemy with charity. By doing so you allow God to do the punishing if wrong is involved.

Wouldn't things be so much easier if we quit blaming and accept fact? Sometimes good people do wrong and bad people do good. We all do each. However, in all cases we're to love others as we do ourselves... even those who we perceive has wronged us.

Luke 23:34 (ESV) "And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” "

We are to be Christlike. Jesus forgave those who crucified him. They didn't believe in Him and failed to realize that an innocent man was killed. Jesus didn't blame. He forgave!

Likewise, Zimmerman was just proecting himself. He didn't realize that he was killing a young man, but a strong assailant. He has contrition for the death although it was done in innocence, because Zimmerman "know not what  he did."  Quit blaming means "forgive" Forgiveness is charity. Charity is love. Love is what we're commanded to do... love God, love others... even love those who've wronged us!

 

Looking for change with your weight?

One of the highest national expenditures is for weight-loss products. Everyone wants a magical chemical or non-strenuous method to lose weight. It is supposed, erroneously I might add,  that it is possible to get something for nothing. (That's called a perpetual motion machine and dosn't exist!) Americans especially believe that they can eat any number of calorific and high fat foods and maintain their youthful weight. That thought flies in the face of reality!

Let's get technical first (don't let this stop you from reading on)!  Your body is a system. Physical scientific laws can be applied to your body. The "Law of Conservation of Energy" can be applied to your body just as it can be applied to a car engine or a air conditioner. You, my friend, are a machine! You are a consumer of fuel and your system's efficiency can be measured! Just  as your car's efficiency can be approximated by gas mileage, your own body's efficiency can also be measured.

First off, the "Law of Conservation of Energy" From McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia "The principle of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, although it can be changed from one form to another."  What this means to the casual observer is that you get nothing for free!  When you put food into your mouth (entry point of your system) that food is converted into energy and by-products. Whatever doesn't come out of your system exit point is used by your body in two ways: 1) You support your system with energy or 2) you store the energy for future use. You do sweat out some energy from the system, but most of that is due to system work.

It takes calories to exist. Calories are a measure of heat and the use of heat over time is energy. If you're sedentary (BMR-Basal Metabolic Rate) you burn about 1500 calories if you weight about 150 pounds.  If you do nothing all day you can lose weight if you eat less that 1500 calories in a day! Although, you need to eat enough to function my suggestion is without exercise, eat around 1100 calories to lose 2 pounds per week. (This is based on personal experience and is not a "study")

If a person with a BMR greater than 1500 calories eats, let's say, 2000 calories, the excess energy is converted into fat and stored. (My body's favorite storage place is my belly).  Our genetics determines to an extent where the favorite storage place may be. Look at your Mom and Dad. If one of them has big thighs, that may be your storage place. For most of us our "storage place" is the buttocks and/or belly, although some folks just spread it out all over!  Women with different hormones than men tend to store most prevalently in the buttocks. Men can put enough fat into their belly you'd swear that they are nine months pregnant! ( If it wasn't for a leather belt that storage would go who knows where!)

Hence, the "Law of Conservation of Energy" pretty much means that whatever you eat that you don't burn off makes you fat!  Well, you say, that skinny person eats all he wants and stays thin. Thanks to genetics some folks metabolism is higher. It takes more to maintain their system!

If you're Rubenesque (fleshy or voluptuous) you see that we have defined your problem (sic). (I intend to be nice during this discussion, hence the use of Rubenesque!). In Victorian times Rubenesque was sexually desirable and customary. With the advent of anorexic models and stars, those who like Rubenesque women (and men) has waned. Although no one wants or expects the average housewife to look like Twiggy, maintaining a slim and toned body is healthy, not only for yourself, but to maintain the libido of your spouse. A strong sexual relationship complements a good marriage! Yes, sex is important to a strong marriage and pleasing your spouse is one of the factors making a strong marriage.

People overuse the phrase "You must do it for yourself!" Maybe that's true indirectly, but I've found that I love my family more than I do myself, therefore breaking habits and being healthy is more for others than for myself! (Also, I want to live a long time so I can spend what others would inherit!)

Two practical choices exist: 1) Exercise more or 2) eat less fuel!  There are various exercise methods, but those which are fun are the easiest. I found that walking, running and bicycling are the fun ones for me for I can vary the rate to fit my abilties. Whereas, when one begins to cycle it may "hurt" after a half-mile, with increased increments the same person can easily bike 30 miles in a short time with little discomfort (outside of the butt). I have also found that cycling does tighten the belly since those muscles are used in pulling the handlebars when going uphill. Bicycling is an easy way to burn 600 calories per hour. That's enough to account for that large milk-shake you may have carelessly drank!

Eating less is also nearly painless if one doesn't go on "extreme" diets. Using the 1100 calorie number you will find that you can eat quite a bit of food and not even be hungry!  (One must not confuse desire with hunger!).  In my diet I came up with my own low calorie pizza and pasta (my two favorites) and kept a journal of calorie intake (no cheating).  Oftentimes at the end of the day I had eaten around 700 calories, was still not hungry, and would treat myself to a 400 calorie milkshake!  Without exercise I lost about 25 pounds in a few months and then with exercise I have lost and maintained a total of 42 pounds!

When your diet is over... it's not over. Sensible eating and exercise must become a lifestyle! I still eat high calorie pizza, but I go ride my bicycle enough to burn that pizza fat off. It's a matter of self-control and perserverence! That's where God comes into play!

God will never give you more than you can bear. With faith all things are possible. Scripture tells me that and you need to believe what God says!  Few of us were born obese so God's plan for us was a healthy body!  Why would God even care? He loves you and something else:

1 Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

In Old Testament times God was pleased to live in a tent. Later Solomon built for Him a temple. With the death of Christ and your belief in Jesus, the temple curtain was torn asunder, and now you are the temple. God lives within each of his born again-children! Just as Solomon gave God a fitting place to dwell we need to do the same. Solomon provided the beautiful cedars of Lebanon and gold and silver. We don't have to do that. We are to provide ourselves "presentable" to Him!

Romans 12:1 (NKJV) 12 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

You are to present "your bodies a living sacrifice".  Yes, your flesh is your offering to God. It's your praise ofering and your sin offering. What types of offering does God demand? He demands the "prime cuts". He demands a healthy offering!

Leviticus 4:3 "If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.

The bull was to be "young" inplying healthy and robust. The bull was to have no physical health problems. Other scriptures point out that it was to be the most healthy cuts as well. Just as God demanded appropriate sacrifices of bulls in the Old Testament he demands that you present yourself as a living sacrifice with the same qualities he expected from the patriarchs. Yes, for the animals a fattened cut was desirable for God loved the aroma, but not a piece of meat overly fattened. No, we not expected to be perfect, just the best that we can be! We should be ashamed as Christians to bring a body to God for his dwelling place when we don't even care for it ourselves!

"That's unreasonable!" you say. Nope! Scripture says "which is your reasonable service". You owe that to God!  It requires self-control and diligence to please God.
 

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV) 5 But also for this very reason (growth in faith), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,  6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,  7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love."

 

Diligence is steady earnest effort and being persistent with the effort. Diligence is what's required to be self-controlled. You are the master of your fate. God allows you to make choices. Self-control is when a Christian puts away the desires of the flesh and works on the desires of God which is incidentally, in your best interests as well. Yes, it takes effort! Yes, it takes motivation!  That's your reasonable service to God!  God likes effort. He hates laziness. Not being self-controlled is lazy!

 

I'm writing this as if obesity is sinful. Is it?

 

Matthew wrote that Jesus was likened into a despicable glutton!  Proverbs equivacates a glutton to a drunkard in two different verses.! Paul in his letter to Titus refers to "lazy gluttons" thus recognizing the relationship discussed in the "Law of Conservation of Energy". Gluttony is merely having an inordinate desire for food, consuming more than is needed to function.

That hurts! I went from a nice expression "Rubenesque" to "glutton" all in a few paragraphs.  Let's be honest. We can't spruce it up. I was and still am a glutton for pizza, pasta, and bread. I love my carbohydrates. I am a glutton, albeit one who has now reached a healthy weight. I still have to daily have the same self-control that I did when losing the weight. However, it gets to be a routine. It gets easy! God helps us to be "self-controlled" through our faith! If we're breaking habits for the right reasons, Jesus will help! I wasn't losing weight to be vain. I was being pragmatic. I'm getting near the end of life and I want to extend those minutes on earth, those days, and those years. I want to be healthy until the end! My sacrifice to Jesus is not only for Him, but for my own egotistical desires. I want to live longer!

"One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus" is how we are to be self-controlled and lose weight. When I'm jogging, I don't look up the hill, but at the step right in front of me. I take "One Step at a Time, Sweet Jesus!". Likewise, in my dieting, I take it one hour at a time. "One Hour at a Time, Sweet Jesus!". Prayer and Scripture will encourage you and God will reward your efforts.

Height appropriate weight will give you new confidence. You have now suceeded, whereas before you failed!  If you have faith in any amount, faith allows you to change things. By faith in God I have met my goal! It is a privilege to give God the credit for my success and now since I have succeeded I give God the credit! He is with me in ALL things!

 

 

Pragmatic and faithful: oxymorons?

We know what faith is. It's a confident belief and trust in God. Actually, Holy Scripture defines it best: Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. "

What are the "things hoped for"?  Existence of God, Eternal life, Heaven, mileau of love, and for us truthful people "great tasting non-fattening desserts"! (Just kidding about the latter). And what is "the evidence of the things not seen"? Think about what you can't see (or at least are unaware of): angels, God, Heaven, Hell, Satan, cherubim, seraphims, and many other things mentioned in Scripture that we believe in, but have never laid eyes upon.

"Evidence" is used to characterize "the things not seen". That means tangible things wich lead a person to believe in "the things not seen", the supernatural if you prefer. Yes, God and his realm is supernatural! The evidence that there is God is, however, found in the "natural world"; the world we know because our senses detect it. The natural world is the physical or material creation. Here's why even pagans from third-world countries are to know and seek God:
 

Psalm 19:(KJV) 1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

 

When Carl Sagan looked at the universe he saw a freak accident. He saw gases coming together just in the right amounts and quantities to cause a cosmic "Big Bang" from which all matter and life was created. Carl is with his master now. He knows just how wrong he was! What I see and what Scripture says is that the cosmos is God's artwork. It's his 3-D dynamic painting in living color. It's demonstrates God's omnipotence and omniscience. What Sagan saw with the eyes of science was ignorance of real truth. It's too late for Sagan to repent of his wrong and that's why this is directed to the living.

 

Romans 1:20  (KJV) "20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

 

Mankind is to believe in the supernatural (and God the Creator) because of the majesty of the physical things God created. Because of what God created, if we fail to see his majesty, we are without excuse!  That means God gave Sagan the evidence, he rejected it and at the "Great White Throne Judgement" he will be "without excuse". God will mete out punishment for his disbelief and that is eternity in hell.

 

Here's where "pragmatism" and "faith" converge! "Pragmatism" is being driven by facts or actuality. Pragmatic people look at the "evidence". You might think that pragmatic people would reject the supernatural, but Romans 1:20 correlate "pragmatism" and "faith". The "evidence" for the supernatural mentioned in Hebrews 11:1's definition of faith means that a pragmatic person can have faith and that faith and pragmatism are not mutually exclusive!

 

Gov. Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky was an engineer who while in office pursued the teaching of creationism. One writer to the Daily News of Bowling Green asked how an engineer could possibly believe in creationism because they're supposed to be scientists. As an engineer and scientist I believe that God created the universe because I'm pragmatic!  Natural causes fail to explain natural laws. The supernatural power of God explains it all! Probability says the "accident theory" (Big Bang) never happened because the odds are against it exponentially. Thermodynamics says it didn't happen because entropy drives systems toward disorganization, not organization.  These are just two examples of the many!

 

Pragmaticism and faith are not oxymorons. Pragmaticism supports faith as we see from Holy Scripture and from the physical laws of nature which are all "God's Laws" of Motion, Thermodynamics, Relativity, etc and were merely "discovered"  by scientists. What a majestic God created brilliant men merely quantified!

 

From a psychological standpoint I'm pragmatic as well!  I believe in Jesus to save my own skin for eternity! That's the smart thing to do. If I reject God and God exists, I'm not pragmatic... I'm stupid! Many people are stupid because they're gambling their soul that God is a liar!  Because I believe in Jesus, I have eternal hope. Without hope I would be depressed. I don't like to be depressed so my believe is pragmatic.

Will pragmaticism alongside belief in God save you? Most certainly. You're exercising your free will to accept or reject God. Belief in predestination would not be pragmatic. With free will you can ask and accept God's grace. With predestination you're either doomed to hell or bound for heaven and there is nothing you can do to change that! That's by definition "without grace".  It's deterministic and that belief is not pragmatic!

God certainly had a plan! When he created the earth and the heavens, he knew that his disobedient children would see his work and say "It's amazing! God must be!" His "being" is His name "I AM THAT I AM"!

 

 

Bill O'Reilly ignorant of Scripture?

I like Bill O'Reilly. He's really a rational thinker, flexible, considerate, well-informed and non-partisan. Bill has a wide and varied background and can bump heads with the elite. However, when it comes to theology, Bill is naive or just doesn't understand. My suspiscion is that Bill has probably not read the entire Bible, is unaware of its entire text is written  by divine inspiration and that the entire Bible is in fact the Word of God. At the least Bill knows Holy Scripture, but doesn't believe it!

I can't quote Bill, but I can paraphrase what he has said before. On one occasion he crticized Christians' attempts to proselytise adherents to other religions. (This was several years ago.) For those of you who are wondering, proselytise means that you're trying to convert another to your own faith. And if we do that it is intolerant?  Jesus told his disciples, specifically the apostles:

Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...."

Disciples are those who adhere to and spread the teachings of Christ (in this case). Therefore, by the instruction of Jesus the Christian's foremost responsibility is to tell others about Jesus (i.e, proselytise)!  O'Reilly, as a confessed Catholic, had no idea that not only ours, but his, primary responsibility as a Christian is to proselytise. It isn't intolerant to want others to love and be loved by Jesus, it's the ultimate display of love!  I also will repeat my mantra "Scripture doesn't teach tolerance... it teaches obedience!"

Your entire life as a Christian must be centered around telling others about Jesus! Don't listen to the spinmeisters who fail to understand the power and truth of Scripture. I suspect that O'Reilly doesn't intend to condemn the teachings of Jesus, he just may not be aware of them!

Recently, O'Reilly was crticizing the preacher in England who was publically quoting and expounding on what the Bible says about homosexuality. The preacher was arrested (later released) for inciting hatred, which is an English law. (So much for freedom of speech!). (Here's the link http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/07/09/british-police-arrest-american-for-preaching-against-homosexuality-79367).

From Bizpac Review July 9, 2013 "Tony Miano, a retired sheriff’s deputy who was a chaplain with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, told Fox News he spent seven hours in jail after being charged with “using homophobic speech that could cause … anxiety, distress, alarm or insult” when passersby took exception to his reading from the writings of St. Paul to the Thessalonians."

Bill O'Reilly took the position that it is wrong for any person to publically tell another that they are going to hell because they are a homosexual. He went on to say that Jesus never used that approach in all his ministery.  Is he wrong or right?

One instance was when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees who lived a busy-body type of religion, but had not love in their hearts: Matthew 23:33 " “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" Jesus not only called them snakes, but he informed them of their destination of going to hell; exactly what Bill O'Reilly said that Jesus never did! How wrong can he be?

Jesus is God. He said he is! That's in the New Testament. God said that his name is "I AM". When Jesus was walking on the water and the apostles wondered who he was the exact translation is that  Jesus said "I AM". In many other places Jesus admitted to be God incarnate!

Since Jesus is God what God says is what Jesus said, remembering that Jesus was God on earth who had taken on a human physical body. God strongly condemned homosexuality. He called it an abomination (disgusting)! 

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (God destroyed two entire cities because of homosexuality).

God placed homosexuality in the same category as he did sins of idolotry. Why?  Idolators (pagans) practiced homosexuality and even had male and female homosexual temple prostitutes. It is clearly disgusting to the Lord! For a preacher to warn others of God's punishment for their sin is the ultimate in courage and love. Christians tell others about Christ, his love and grace!  To accept the grace offered by Jesus requires repentance. Repentance isn't possible without a knowledge of sin. Rebuking sin is how Christians are to convert others:

Proverbs 1:30 "They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof." "Reproof" is "rebuke" and both mean "to sharply criticize".  That's what Brother Miano was doing. He was using Scripture to rebuke!

Paul tells us what God's Word is for: 2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Paul is saying that Scripture (The Old Testament at that time) is for reproof (sharply criticizing) sinners. He also says that Scripture is "given by the inspiration of God" and since Scripture called homosexuality "an abomination", that is from God! Who are we to question the creator of the universe?

And why would Christians criticize sinners? "For instruction in righteousness." God wants sinners to become righteous... to change sinful acts... to be Christlike!  Christians desire that none should perish, but that all should go to heaven. That includes the homosexual. Bro. Miano expressed the ultimate love. He risked persecution to tell others they're not lost if they only repent! He was arrested for his love!

Bill O'Reilly didn't know Scripture well enough to realize that we rebuke because we love just as God told us to do. He didn't realize that Jesus himself publicly rebuked sinners and even told them that they were bound for hell. Bill failed to see that Jesus was being intolerant (by today's political correctness) when he called a bunch of sinners "snakes", in public, no less!

Jesus is always portrayed as a loving God and He is! However, Jesus is also a just God and at the end Jesus will be the one who punishes. If we love and obey him now we'll never see nor experience that side of him!

That's No Lady, That's My Girlfriend!

Respect is when a person shows high regard for another person, animal, machine, process or object. I'd like to focus not only respect of a person, but respect for a member of the opposite sex; particularly a males' respect for a woman.

Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian, said "That's not a lady, that's my wife!"  Although said in jest, that statement shows a total disregard for the person he was pledged to love and respect, if he in truth felt that way. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Dangerfield probably really respected his wife. Do you respect yours?

First off God is no respector of persons!  Romans 2: 10 "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.".  This is a statement that God places all races in the same esteem. He died for all mankind. There's nothing that any person can do to gain favor from God! Peter made the same observation in Acts 10 in regard to the nations and Paul reiterated in Ephesians 6 regarding free men and those in bondage.

1 Peter 1:17 says And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:". We all have the same balanced scales used to judge our righteousness. God won't "put his finger on the scales of justice" so to speak because he favors me nor you!

Does God's lack of respect for nationality, race, civil status or work mean that each of us are not to respect others? You know the answer to that! Just as God has grace for all without regard to the person's attributes, we are to have grace for others as well. You say "We're not talking about grace... we're talking about respect!"

Old Testament Scripture tells judges to not respect position or power in judgement (Proverbs 24:23) and we're not to respect a person just because they're wealthy (Proverbs 28:20), but the only place we are to respect are the priests of God (Lamentations 4:16). Nowhere does the Bible say that we are to respect people! Likewise, the synonymn "honor" is used only one time and that is in reference with not honoring the rich!

We need to look elsewhere for "respect". The Bible may not say that we respect others, but it sure has many verses which display respect!

Genesis 2:24 (ESV) "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. " What makes a wife? Is it a legal certificate which obligates a person to become one flesh? Historically, pagans have taken wives because the woman was selected to carry the children of the husband. Jews and Christians have taken wives in holy ceremonies with no formal document. Even up into the 1800s people have been married by "banns" where they stood up in church and declared their desire to be married, and if no one objected, they became husband and wife. A blessing was most often given by the preacher. The marriage was documented in church records, but it was likely that no civil records were ever created!

Hence, a document does not make a marriage!  If you're shacking up with a member of the opposite sex and have relations, like it or not, you have chosen a spouse, not only in God's eyes, but take a look at "common law" marriage. If you try to leave without sharing property after so many years, you're obligated to share common property.  From a Scriptural perspective here's what Jesus said to the woman at the well:

John 4:17 (KJV) 17 "The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly."

 

Apparently this woman had had five previous sexual relationships which qualified as a "marriage". These were not marriages performed in a holy ceremony, but marriages consecrated in iniquity. They were sinful relationships Jesus considered to be marriage! This is the state of matrimony today!

 

Ephesians 5:25 ESV "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,"

Marriage is likened unto Christ's relationship to the church. It is intuitively obvious that the church must love and respect the deity they worship. My conclusion is that men are to love their wives and respect them in their position. You are one flesh and no man hateth himself. You are to treat the female half of you just as royally as you treat yourself!

This thought is exponded upon and reinforced by this verse:

Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. "

Scripture sets standards for the relationship between the husband and wife in marriage. Respect the wife just as you desire respect for yourself. Love your wife just as you want to be loved!  All this love is to be as Christ sanctified it to be. Marriage is set apart as a special relationship between two people just as Christ and his people have a special relationship. Hence, "love" implies "honor" and "respect". In fact you may have pledged in your wedding vows to "Love, honor and cherish" your mate! Do you do that?

Statistics show that marriages are on the wane? Why? People are failing to respect the sanctity of marriage because they fail to respect Christ and what he did for us! In effect not only are two people fornicating when they have extramartial sex, but are committing adultery when they have a faux marriage, which God recognizes, but they don't themselves!

Commitment!  People jsut aren't commited to God. Not that a person doesn't believe in God, but they want to "have it my way". They want the proverbial "cake, but eat it too"!  They "want the milk without buying the cow" to put it crudely. Neither show respect, most often lack of respect on the man's part, for if a man fulfill his obligation as a man a woman will be respected enough that he waill desire her as a wife! 

Paul says "it's better to marry than to burn!" in 1 Corinthinas 7:9. Man is to take a mate because he desires her. To change that lust to honor, marriage is the recourse! It's a man's obligation to honor God and he mocks God by failing to marry the one he is bedding!

Commitment! Men are not interested in a committed relationship with God, but neither with a woman. A commitment is a heartfelt pledge. Men neither pledge to love, honor and obey Christ nor the woman with whom they're having a relationship. A cancer in man's relationship with God is a cancer on man's relationship with a woman! That cancer spreads. When a man beds a woman outside the sanctity or marriage, that shows no respect for the woman. When a woman allows a man to know her in a sexual manner, that woman shows no respect for herself nor for the man! If she respected the man, she would acknowledge to him that he fails to respect her!

As with all things of God marriage has become extraneous. Living together is in vogue. Likewise Christ has become extraneous and living in rebellion to Him is in vogue.

Woman, are you holding out for a man to ask you to marry?  You men, are you  hoping that woman will agree to be your wife? The pathway to marriage is not by iniquity, but by love, honor and respect!  There is a man out there who will provide that. There is a woman out there who will love that. The relationship you're trapped in is an obstacle to God providing your soulmate. Get out of the way of God and let Him provide. Exercise faith! Pray!  You don't like being alone? It's better to be alone than burn!

 

I fought God and God won!

I'm not unlike most people. Although I believed in God as early as five-years old, I was nothing more than a little demon for they also believe in God!  What do I mean by "demon"? Think "Dennis the Menace".  I created havoc wherever I went! My hands were in everything and I was always bothering everybody. There's nothing sinful about being a menace, but even at that age I knew right from wrong.

My parents, especially Mom, always warned me that I'd better be good because at twelve years old I became accountable to God. That's not Scriptural, but is a remnant of Judaism carried over into Christianity. Yes, I had to know right from wrong, but there's nothing special about being twelve!  However, I accepted her twelve years as an opporunity to be bad for many more years to come. I remember stealing when I was around ten and thinking "I sure am glad I'm not twelve yet or I'd go to Hell!" 

Christians believe that children are loved by God because of their innocence.

Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV) 2 "He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Children have simple beliefs. Their thoughts are not complicated. We too are to accept God on His simple terms. You believe in him with a loving belief. There's nothing complicated in that! Children accept him because they're not confused by false knowledge and heretical interpretation of God's Word. Then comes education!  Your child begins to learn things from outside the sphere of Scripture. They begin to associate with older boys and girls who have already tasted worldly pleasures! Innocent children become rebellious!

My fight started at about fourteen. The church I had been attending "saved me" by teaching me a catechism class. The minister announced that I got an "A", hence was now eligible for church membership. No one even asked if I believed in Jesus, let alone if I had committed my life to him!  I attended church because all my friends did. Dad worked many hours and second shift so I chose my own church.  However, something was missing from this "conversion", mainly everything. The only thing different is that I got an "A". I wasn't proud of the "A" nor my false security.

My next mistake was changing churches! (sic).  My fight with God was initiated! This denomination taught repentance and salvation by belief in Jesus and the effaceable sacrifice of his own blood to pay the penalty for my sins. Here is where the battle began! God's Holy Spirit began to work on me. He called me to repentance:

2 Timothy 1:9  (KJV) "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, "

Yes, me a sinner. Jesus died for me, and God called me to repentance, yet I, though not rejecting his sacrifice, thought it more pleasurable to continue in sin than to submit. I fought God! I wasn't the first! Jacob (later Israel) wrestled with God:

Gen 32:24 "So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 28b because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 30b “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Who won this fight? Was it Jacob or was it the Angel of God (Jesus)?  The man God could not overpower Jacob. Jacob was physically stronger!  However, Jacob was permanently afflicted by the power of God who used His omnipotence to dislocate Jacob's hip. Jacob realized that God had just been playing with him because he said "my life was spared?.

God won! Jacob fought God and God won!

Likewise, I wrestled with God. I wanted to continue as a sinner, yet be a child of God. You can't be both!

1 John 3:9 (KJV) "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

 

Yes, born again Christians do sin, but it's covered  by the blood!  However, Christians must be cautious about devoting their life to sin because at some point in time Jesus loses his favor and becomes trivial.  Salvation is by faith!  Faith is not a one-time event, but a lifetime commitment. Faith for five minutes to walk to the altar does not constitute a person dedicated to Christ. We must be Christlike, even though we fail!

 

In my wrestling match with God, I thought "When I get good enough I will be acceptable to Jesus!". That thought is the very reason Jesus died for me. I can never be that good. He wants me right now and just as bad as I've always been. It took me awhile to realize that "grace" was my dislocated hip. I got to overcome although I certainly don't deserve it! Jesus spared me in my sin just as he had Jacob.

 

As a sinner who wrestled God I held onto the pew in front of me at each altar call. Jesus pulled out all the stops to win the wrestling match. The song Just As I Am tugged at my heartstrings, I removed my hands from it's death grip on the pew in front of me, and reached for Jesus by praying at the altar.

 

The battle had just begun! With Satan's urging, I fought Jesus all the way! It took me several trips to the altar because I was so strong-willed. After awhile, I submitted. Grace had defeated my will! Yes, I desire Jesus in my life, I am a crummy sinner, I deserve death, but I want your grace, Jesus.

 

I fought God, and God won!