Author: pastortravislv

Romans 8:7-9 – For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
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As I read these verses, my mind is immediately drawn back to the studies that I am presently doing for my doctorate. One of the major debates among those studying Christian counseling in its various forms is the debate about the usefulness of the field of psychology. There are some groups that believe that the counselor may be Christian, but may rightly choose to not include anything but the practice of psychology in his counseling. There are others who argue that nothing should be brought out of secular psychology into the area of counseling; only the scriptures and the Holy Spirit can change lives. Of course, there are also people spread all across a continuum between those two positions.

Looking at Romans 8:7-9, we learn something about human nature and fallenness that may shine some light on this discussion. What we learn will also help to challenge the way that we think overall, so it is worth presenting here. Paul writes that the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, does not submit to God’s law, can not submit to God’s law (which is even worse), and can not please God. He then lets us know that someone who has the Spirit of God living within them is not the person whose mind is set on the flesh. So, we learn, in these few verses, that the lost person is the one who does not and can not please God because he or she does not and can not obey God’s commands.

What does all this have to say about the little counseling debate? I’m not totally sure, but I do know that it shines a strong light on the discussion. Lost people in the field of psychology do not have the Spirit of God living within them. Thus, they can do nothing to please God. Neither, I would add, can they do something to help the Christian to please God, since the lost person is hostile to God. If the person is hostile to God, I would conclude that the basic assumptions and methodologies of the lost person would also tend to be in opposition to God. Thus, if not all, the vast majority of motivation, methodology, direction, and action of secular psychology is, though possibly something that will “work,” also something that is opposed to God at its very core.

As believers in Christ, we do not live by a standard of pragmatism. We, instead, live by a standard of righteousness. Not only are we to do the work of our King, we are also to do that work in his way. There may be ways that we can go about things that lead to a desired effect, but if that way is hostile to God, the action is sin regardless of the results. Thus, the text of Romans 8:7-9 would make me be very cautious, and honestly quite hesitant, to include any of the methods of men who are, by their very natures, hostile to God and unable to follow him. That, of course, means that I also would reject a great deal that is taught by the secular psychologist, philosopher, counselor, or guru out of principle that, though their methods may bring about good looking results, their hearts are opposed to my God. Since I desire most of all to glorify him, I turn from the ways that seem right to men, and turn instead to the word and Spirit of the Living God.

Outside of the psychology debate, there is still a great lesson for us to learn here. Lost people are truly lost. If you or someone you know does not know Jesus, you have to recognize that the Bible declares such a person to be unwilling and incapable of seeking God. Such a person, according to the text, is hostile to God. For such a person to do anything to please God, they must first be turned from living by the flesh to living by the Spirit. This can only happen when the Spirit of the Living God dwells in them. That only happens when the person who is lost is born again, brought to Jesus Christ for salvation.

Are you trying to help your lost friends to live a better life? They can not do it. Are you trying to help them to get out of their depression or their problem-filled lives? You will not succeed. You can not succeed with them, because the ultimate thing that they need is Jesus. Stop trying to counsel the lost with tips on living a better life. They do not want tips on how to please God, they are hostile to him. They instead need the Holy Spirit of God to break into their hearts, change them, and bring them to Christ.

Lord, I recognize here and now that no person without the Spirit living within him can ever do anything to please you. That is who I was before I came to know you. All glory for me coming to know you is yours, because I was hostile to you beforehand. I ask that you will help me to always remember that I can never expect a lost person to want you any more than I can trust them to teach methods of helping that will please you. Help me instead to remember that they are hostile to you, blinded by sin, and in need of Christ as their Savior. I also ask that you will help me to never use pragmatic but worldly methods. I want to please you, and I know that I can only do that when I do your work in your way for your glory.

1 Samuel 15:20-23 – And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
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In this account, King Saul was sent by God on a very specific and particular mission. Saul did most of what the LORD told him to do, but he also exercised a bit of license, refusing to destroy the spoils of the victory. When Samuel confronts Saul with his unwillingness to destroy everything as the LORD had commanded him, Saul responds with deception and defensiveness.

Saul says that he did obey God. He says he did enough that God ought to be satisfied by simply going on the mission. Then he twists his own disobedience, the keeping of many of the nice spoils, and declares that his intent was to use it for worshipping God. He complains, he blames the people, he lies, and he attempts to justify his actions.

Samuel makes it overwhelmingly plain that Saul has not obeyed the LORD. As has been said many times by many pastors, partial obedience is disobedience. Saul claims partial obedience. He claims to have gone on the mission, and he wants Samuel to overlook his mishandling the spoils of victory. Saul did obey, but only to a point. He did the part of the mission he wanted to do, and he fudged on the details that he wanted to avoid. When confronted, he even tried to pretend that his motive was worship. But God is not pleased by our partial obedience. God is not impressed with us doing half, or even three-fourths of what we should do. God wants us to obey his word 100%. To only partially obey, especially when the command is so abundantly clear, is to fully disobey the command of God.

Today, we ought to examine our lives, and ask the LORD to show us the commands in his word he wants us to follow. We need to ask Him to make it plain what it is that he wants us to do in daily living. Then, we need to obey. We do not partially obey, because that actually means to disobey. We do not pass blame for our disobedience onto others. We do not try to make up for our disobedience by doing something extra in worship. No, we obey his commands, and we live to honor our God. That will lead to our joy, and it will avoid much of the pain that Solomon experienced.

LORD, I come to you this evening, and I ask that you would help me to follow you fully. I realize that partial obedience to your commands is actually disobedience. I ask that you will empower me to obey. Help me to see what I need to work on most. Draw me close to you through your word, and help me to do your will with 100% commitment.

1 Samuel 13:8-14 – He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
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When King Saul found himself in a difficult position, he decided that he would do whatever he could think of to get himself out of it. He decided to make an offering to God in order to seek the LORD’s favor. However, the offering was not Saul’s right to make. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. Only priests from the tribe of Levi were authorized by God to present offerings to him. Saul messed up, and cost himself and his family the future kingdom of Israel.

In our own lives, it is very easy to be tempted to do whatever we think we “have to” do to get what we feel we “need.” At times, when circumstances get hard, we think that we are forced by the situation to break a few rules in order to have a good outcome. But God does not smile upon such things. God smiles on our obedience. He smiles on our trusting him. He smiles when we believe that obeying his commands is truly the best thing for us. He does not bless us when we disobey his commands, because our disobedience, even in difficult circumstances, does not glorify his name.

There are lots of situations in which Christians today might be tempted to act like Saul and disobey God’s word out of supposed necessity. The single person who believes he “needs” a spouse might be tempted to compromise God’s standards and pursue a spouse regardless of whether or not that person is seeking after God. The Christian whose family is in financial difficulty might be tempted to take money that does not belong to her out of a desire to help; but such an activity would dishonor the LORD. The Christian who has made an embarrassing choice may want to tell a little “white lie” about it in order not to lose face. All such choices, though they may seem logical at the time, go against God’s commands and dishonor the name of God.

Today, in a time when you may not be in a tight squeeze, is the time for you to decide that you will obey the word of God in all situations. Recognize that the blessing of God is not for the one who takes matters into his own hands and who does whatever seems right in his own eyes. God blesses the one who follows his word and trusts his God above all. So decide, right now, to trust God’s word and God’s standards no matter what.

LORD, I acknowledge here and now that your word and your way is best. I know that, for me to disobey your commands, is for me to dishonor you. I want to honor you only. I do not want to make excuses for breaking your commands. I want to follow you, even in difficult circumstances. Help me to have the strength to follow your word, regardless of whatever difficulty I am facing.

1 Samuel 12:20-22 – And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.”
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After the people of Israel demanded a king to reign over them in place of the LORD, they became convinced by God of their great sin. They feared greatly, and they asked Samuel to pray for them. Samuel’s response to the people both offered them forgiveness and directed them how to live in the future. The forgiveness is implied in the fact that the people are not going to die. The instructions are what they have to follow in order not to get into more trouble.

What I want us to learn from this is how we need to respond to God when we find ourselves failing. First, we need to recognize it when we sin, and we need to seek God’s forgiveness. The people of Israel feared that they would die, which shows that they truly grasped that they had sinned before a holy God who most certainly would have been righteous to judge them. When you sin, you need that same recognition. Any sin, even the slightest little sin, is infinitely offensive to a holy God. That God would be absolutely righteous to judge us for it, but he is gracious to forgive.

Once you have confessed your sin to God and sought his forgiveness, there is still something that you need to do. It is important that we not allow ourselves to fall into self-pity when we fail. It is important that we stand strong against falling into the same sinful patterns. It is vital that we replace the sinful activity with righteousness. That is what Samuel commanded when he told them to no longer trust in empty things that can not save them, but to serve the LORD with all their hearts. It is a simple call to stop trusting in the world and the flesh, but to instead serve God with all you have.

The final thing to do is to fully trust in God. Samuel told the people that God will not forsake his people. Why not? God will not forsake his people not out of anything they do or are. God will not forsake his people for his own name’s sake. God’s reputation is at stake in how he treats his people. He wants to be known as merciful to his people who return to him seeking forgiveness. He wants to be known as a God who blesses those who follow him with all their hearts. He will be faithful, because he will not let his name be known as unfaithful.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the truth found here in your word. When we fail, you are faithful to forgive us when we acknowledge, confess, and repent of our sins in Christ. It is not by anything we can do that you forgive us. You forgive based on the merit of Christ. I pray that you will help me to always turn from empty things, and to seek you and you only. I want to serve you with all my heart as you command.

1 Samuel 10:9 – When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.
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This verse speaks of the way that God makes dramatic changes in the lives of those he chooses. We do not know much about Saul before this event, but we learn that something about him is dramatically different. The Bible tells us that God gave him a new heart. God reached into the chest of Saul, and made him into a new man.

While Saul has his issues later in life, it is fascinating and greatly hopeful to see a clear case of the Lord giving to someone a new heart. The truth is, God can and does reach into our lives. He takes who we were, and he changes us from the inside out. We may not even know that it is happening at times. At other times, we may think that we are doing all the work. But, when it is all said and done, God is the one who has changed us. He is the one who takes you from being who you were and makes you into who he wants you to be. All good changes in your life and mine are by God’s power and for his glory. And, thankfully, we have hope of change, because God is the one who gives us new hearts.

Dear Lord, I recognize that you have the power to reach into a man’s life, and to give him a brand new heart. I thank you for the ways in which I can see this in my own life. I thank you for changing me into someone who desires to honor you, because I was not that before. I pray that you will continue the process of change in my heart. Make me more and more into your image. I also ask that you would fill me with hope for the future. I know that you can change any person. I know that you can give new hearts. I yield my heart to you, and I ask that you continue to work in me.

1 Samuel 8:19-20 – But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
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In this passage, Samuel warned the people of Israel not to choose for themselves a human king. The people refused to listen to Samuel, because they wanted to have a king whom they could see and depend upon. They failed to recognize that, for hundreds of years, God had done exactly the things they wanted a King to do. God had led them to justice. God had given them victory in battle. Yet, the people disregarded the past faithfulness of the Lord, and turned from him to seek a man to be the king.

In our own lives, we must fight the same temptation that led the nation of Israel to reject the LORD. We must learn to trust in God, and not in the works of men. We do not need to be like the rest of the world. We need not trust in the wisdom or the power of the lost to help us to live. Instead, we can depend on God for purpose, direction, meaning, and protection. We must focus our lives on the eternal kingdom of God, and not on the material blessings of the world.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me to place my trust in you, not on the protection or comforts of the material world around me. Help me to honor you, not to turn away from you when I decide I need to take control of my own life. You are God. You are the one who will fight my battles and lead me to righteousness. Please guide me, and keep my heart focused on you and you alone.

Psalm 50:8-15 – Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
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These words from God to his people do a good job of righting our perspective. Many times, when we think of the importance of doing the work of the Lord, we actually begin to believe that we are pretty important to God. We begin to feel as though God needs us. “What would he do without us,” we ask, “It sure is good for God that he has servants like us to do his will.”

God makes it plain, in this psalm, that he does not need us. In the old days, when he called his people to sacrifice, he did not do so because he needed food. What could the people ever offer God that did not already belong to him? He owns all created things. Today, what can you offer God that he does not already own? When you place your offering in the basket at church, you are not giving God anything that is not already his. You are not offering him something that he needs. Instead, you are giving back to God what he already owns. You are rightly serving him, but not helping him. He does not need our help.

Imagine a father with a young son painting a room in his house. The father will accomplish the work very well without the young son’s help. In fact, the father can do the work more quickly without the son than with him. However, because the father loves the son and wants to spend time with him, the father paints a line on the wall, and allows his son to paint the wall below the line. No doubt, the father has to come along and clean up the boy’s messes along the way. But the father does all this, because the boy wants to help his dad. It is a privilege for him to work with his dad in accomplishing the task.

The previous illustration is how I picture things in the kingdom of God. God most certainly does not need me. He does not need my help. He can do things a million times better without me. However, he has chosen, out of his love and kindness, to allow me to join with him in his work. Serving God is an honor. It is a true privilege. I am allowed by God to participate in the work that is to his ultimate glory. How dare I ever make myself feel self-important? I am but a tool in his hands. I am like a child painting a wall. I am not needed by God, I am blessed by God in his allowing me to serve him.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you allow me to join with you in the work of your kingdom. I acknowledge without hesitation that you do not need me. You can and will accomplish your plan with or without me. I thank you so much that you would actually allow me to be a part of that accomplishment. I pray that you will equip and empower me to serve you faithfully. I pray that you will bless me with the honor of giving all of myself for the sake of your call. I know that you can do it all without me, and so it is that much more special that you would allow me to join in. Thank you, Lord. Please help me to join in well for the honor of your name.