For God’s Sake and Their Sake

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Be kind for God’s sake. If you mistreat my son or daughter – who bears my image – you mistreat me. In the same way, if you mistreat a person – bearing God’s image – you mistreat God.

To hate someone is to hate God. To insult a person is to insult God. To ridicule a human being is to ridicule God. To mistreat an image-bearer of God is to mistreat God. How dare we treat people that way! How dare we treat God that way! Be kind for God’s sake.

Be kind for their sake. In Romans 2:4, Paul tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. Yes, we had to be convicted of our sins, but it was His kindness in Jesus that drew us to Him.

If what we dish out is judgment and hatred and anger, we will only turn people off from Jesus. A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. You attract bees with honey not vinegar. We attract people to Christ not with our condemnation but with our kindness.

World has spades of hatred and anger and insults and ridicule, but we are called to be different. Let us be known as a kind people, so people want to know why we are so kind to them. And then we have opportunity to tell them about Jesus, who was and is so kind to us. Be kind for their sake.

How To Treat Others

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God created us in His own image; therefore, we must not murder another person (Genesis 9:5-6). We can kill animals for food, but we must not kill a human being, because each one is made in God’s image.

John equates murder and hate – to hate your brother is to murder him in your heart (I John 3:15). Jesus connects murder to anger – anger towards another that lashes out or simmers into bitterness. Jesus also ties insults to murder. And Jesus ties ridicule – you fool! – to murder (Matthew 5:21-22). By John’s and Jesus’ definition most of our politicians are murderers. And so are we – murderers in our hearts and with our words.

And this is not how we are to treat each other made in God’s image. Rather:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV)

Instead of insults and ridicule, we are to speak with kindness. Instead of anger and hate, we are to show tenderheartedness and forgiveness. Instead of hate, anger, insults, and ridicule, we are to treat image-bearers of God with dignity and kindness. Imagine how living like this could heal our families, heal our nation, and heal our world – if we just treat each other with the dignity and kindness that each person deserves as an image-bearer of God.

Regardless. No exceptions. There is no situation that justifies not treating each other with kindness and dignity. There is no situation that justifies treating someone like an animal, like garbage – with hate, anger, insults, or ridicule. No matter how others treat us, God calls us to treat them with dignity and kindness. Regardless.

False Desires

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In Christ, we become new creations, called and able to reject false desires. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(II Corinthians 5:17)

In Christ, God has made you new.  Your old sinful way of life is gone.  You have a new life in Christ, so you don’t have to follow false and deceptive desires.  His Holy Spirit enables you to reject fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16).  His grace trains you to reject worldly passions and live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life (Titus 2:11-12).  In Christ, you can overcome.

Indeed, He calls and enables all of us to reject deceptive desires like lust, coveting, greed, gluttony, and selfishness.  He calls and enables all of us to reject false feelings of hopelessness, despair, and worry.  He calls and enables all of us to reject wrong self-perceptions of superiority, self-righteousness, and worthlessness. 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)

Instead of conforming to the false desires of our world, we are to renew our minds with God’s truth that we might discern what is good and follow that. 

Rejecting false desires isn’t easy.  God never said it would be.  Indeed He tells us that it is a war:

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
(I Peter 2:11)

These false desires are at war with you to destroy you.  We must fight.  But God not only calls us, but also enables us, to reject false desires.  May we live in His strength!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:7-10

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

God’s judgment for our sins is coming
Believe God’s warning, your sins confess
Look to the cross now for your saving
Become a true heir of righteousness

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Believe God’s promise of a city
Live by that faith and His Word obey
Go where He leads though you cannot see
Look to your hope as you live each day
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the GloryLeave a comment

Eben Ice Caves in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:1-6

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

Faith is assurance of things hoped for
The conviction of real unseen things
Live by faith in God’s promised reward
And in God’s unseen daily workings

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

We believe God made the world and us
Show it by how you treat each person
By faith we’re commended as righteous
Through the saving work of God’s own Son
(Repeat Chorus)

Faith is the means of walking with God
Draw near to Him and please Him each hour
There is reward for those who seek God
And hope in death through God’s greater power!
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Jesus Is Coming

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The Old Testament was filled with promises in great detail about the coming of Jesus, and He came just as was promised. The New Testament is filled with promises of the return of Jesus, and we believe that Jesus is coming again just as was promised. We are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

And Jesus is coming again to bring forth the final fulfillment of God’s Kingdom. In the Gospels, Jesus declared that the kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus the King has come, and He cast out demons and healed the sick and raised the dead and multiplied food and calmed the storm to show what His kingdom would one day be like. Satan will be defeated, and there will be no more sickness or death or lack or destructive chaos. And He died on the cross for our sins and rose again to make for Himself a people, His subjects, who will turn from their sin & believe in Him, and begin to follow Him.

One day the King is coming again, and He will bring about the final fulfillment of the Kingdom. He will bring peace and justice and righteousness forever (Isaiah 9:7). He will set up His throne on the New Earth, and He will bring forth His kingdom filled with life and healing and light. There will be no more darkness, and nothing accursed. And His people will be forever in presence of the Lord (Revelation 22:1-6).

So let us carefully prepare for His return. Too many people don’t prepare, don’t even think about being ready for His return. They have no interest in Jesus, no interest in the salvation He offers. But if there is even a chance that what we are saying is true, shouldn’t you carefully explore it? If your eternal destiny rests on what you do with Jesus, shouldn’t you consider it? Jesus might return today. You could die today. Turn from your sin and trust in Him today. Carefully prepare for His return.

He is coming. Are you ready?

And if you are, rest in the amazing certain hope that you have in Him!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 10:26-39

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Be careful that you don’t turn away
How could you treat Christ with such disdain?
Vengeance is the Lord’s, He will repay
Without Christ, only judgment remains

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Now call to mind how far you have come
All the trials you had to endure
Don’t quit now for your reward will come
Look to your hope, glorious and sure
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)