@!#$%!!

 

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.

James 1:26

A few years ago (or maybe it was several years ago; at this point of my life I have trouble knowing the difference), I got involved in an online discussion about whether Jesus ever swore.

You know...foul language...four-letter words...cussing.

I stood firmly in the camp that said, "No way! 'Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth' and all that."

The opposing view argued that Jesus, while being the Son of God, was also fully human, dealing with people who didn't understand him. So of course, they thought, he used gritty language to express himself or vent his emotions.

Inherent in this line of reasoning was the belief that "dirty words" are not a sin anyway. That, of course, led to a completely different tangent that left me a little deflated because, after all, I cannot explain why certain words are on The Naughty List while other words, referring to the exact same bodily functions (or whatever), are perfectly acceptable in polite society.

The good news is that we don't need to solve that riddle right now, because I don't think that's what James is talking about in this verse anyway. Take a look at how he expands on the thought two chapters later:

We all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! (James 3:2-10 NLT)

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Truth is...It is not so much our word choice, but the intended result of our words that reveals our character and the extent to which we are allowing the Holy Spirit to affect our human nature.

 

To Be Honest With You...

 

He who gives an honest answer gives a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 24:26

In the 1990 motion picture Pretty Woman, the prostitute played by Julia Roberts refused to kiss her clients on the lips because it was "too personal." There was a line of vulnerability and true intimacy (as opposed to, in her mind, simple sexuality) that was not to be crossed.

In a world of political spins and publicist reframings, hearing someone plainly answer a sincere question can be just as surprising and impactful as a tender, heartfelt kiss on the lips. It can open a world of respectful communication...a world greatly different from the norms of today.

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Truth is...the foundation of all meaningful relationships.

The Final Act Has a Very Boring Opening Scene

 

Just as it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man.

Luke 17:26

Plenty of people are plenty curious about what it's going to be like when Jesus returns to Earth. This verse gives us a pretty good idea.

And if there's any doubt about what Jesus meant by "as it was in the days of Noah, Jesus elaborates in verse 27:

People went on eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

In other words, most people will be going about their normal day-to-day lives with no idea whatsoever that it's all about to come to an end.

The next two verses double down on the same thought:

It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...If you're looking for something specific to give you fair warning that the end of time is about to happen, prepare to be disappointed. Better to be like Noah and Lot and obediently carry out whatever task God sets before you. Then let the clock stop whenever it wants.

With Great Truth Comes Great Responsibility

 

 

For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.

Hebrews 10:26

I've got good news and bad news.

The good news is that, even though "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (also Romans 6:23).

In other words, every human being on Planet Earth deserves to die because of their insistence on doing things their own way, for their own benefit, regardless of God's clear standards.

That may sound like bad news, and it is, all by itself. But what turns it into good news is that the death and resurrection of Jesus pays sin's wages on our behalf and frees us up to have life with a capital L (John 10:10).

"What about that bad news you said you had?"

Yeah, about that...

Just because my sins are forgiven doesn't mean I can go on living life my way, gleefully indulging in my favorite infractions.

Paul put it this way: "What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2)

How indeed?

How can I see that my sin led to Jesus' death and then just go on enjoying that sin? It's as if the crucifixion never happened. (And that is certainly bad news.)

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth is...Nobody is perfect, even after calling Jesus Lord and becoming his follower. But there's a difference between "Oops, I Did It Again," and "I've Got Friends in Low Places."

Who Do You See in the Mirror?

 

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.
Galatians 3:26 (NIV)

The older I get, the more I look like my dad.

That's not just my opinion. I've had that truth declared to me by men who used to sit in the front row of the church with him when they were all deacons.

And I see it, too. The oval-shaped face, the slightly curved shoulders...even a case of furniture disease ("Where your chest has dropped down into your drawers").

But you know what? I'm not Clarence Roth's child because I look like him. I look like him because I'm his child.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth Is...It's the same way with being a child of God. No amount of Doing Good or Living Right will make me a member of the royal family. But because I believe Yahweh when he says he loves me enough to die in my place, I find myself, the older I get, looking more and more like Jesus...allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me into doing good and living right.

When Mob Rule Bent the Rules

 

Then [Pilate] released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.

Matthew 27:26

Let's think about this scene a little. More than it being the story of Barabbas gaining his freedom, it's about the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, abdicating all authority to those he was placed in charge of.

His wife had warned him to have nothing to do with the rabbi from Nazareth, and his own interrogation of the prisoner confirmed that Jesus had committed no capital offence. And yet...

He tried as hard as he could to let Jesus go free, even offering him as the traditional Passover prisoner release. And yet...

He had Jesus beaten to within an inch of his life, something not usually done in connection with a crucifixion, in hopes of gaining sympathy for him from the crowd. And yet...

The crowd chanted. The crowd threatened to report Pilate to Caesar.

The crowd prevailed.

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Truth is...The majority is not always right.

The Case of the Unstumpable Savior

 

They were not able to catch [Jesus] in what he said in public, and being amazed at his answer, they became silent.

Luke 20:26

The religious leaders at the time of Christ weren't all that excited about Jesus walking around gaining followers and respect. In fact, they wanted him to stop.

They figured if they could just get Jesus to say something blatantly false or ridiculously stupid or undeniably blasphemous, his reputation would be wrecked, and his followers would come back to viewing them as the real authorities.

The only problem is that their religious riddles and verbal traps never fooled Jesus. He saw them for what they were and responded with such deftness and aplomb that even Jesus' detractors were left speechless.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Truth Is...Trying to catch Jesus off-guard is like waiting for a square to have three sides or trying to smell the color nine.