Gentleness

An Attitude of Gratitude

I was thinking back on a recent article comparing how God's complete renovation in our lives is similar to the work done on the TV show Extreme Home Makeover.  If you have ever seen that show, then you know how the homeowners are often overcome with gratitude once they are presented with their new home.  There are usually tears flowing as they express amazement at the transformative work done while continuing to thank the carpenters for the work.  Why?  Because of the largeness of the gift they have been given.  They have not earned it; they only had to receive it.

It is the same for us.  When God changes your heart into a reflection of His own and grants you new life in Him by His Spirit, the natural result is gratitude (Psalm 26:7, 100:4; Jeremiah 30:19; John 2:9; II Corinthians 4:15, 9:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 2:7, 4:2).

However, when you have (outwardly) conformed yourself into your own image by your own soulish power, the natural result is pride. I once had a discussion with a young believer who claimed to be "proud" of her growth in the Lord.  I cautioned her to reflect on whether the sources of that "pride" were really God's work at all.  How is it possible to take pride in something over which you did not perform?  And if you performed it, then perhaps that is the indication that you need to turn it over to the Lord for Him to perform His work.  He is the Potter, after all.

All aspects of the flesh needs to be turned over to the Lord...even our own perceived "right"eousness.  If we do not, then the manifestation of this defiled fruit will show itself in our lives, including how we interact with others. A heart born of gratitude will be imbued with gentleness; a heart born from pride will filled with condescension.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit! It is one of the evidences that we have been born again.

The word for gentleness here is the Greek word "chrēstotēs" which means: moral goodness, integrity, benignity, and kindness.  It comes from a word meaning "fit to use, manageable".

"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." I Thessalonians 2:7-8

We often think of women as gentle, but you don't hear that often applied to men.  Consider the text above.  Here the Apostle compares their ministry to that of a nurse cherishing her children.  There are false depictions of manhood which might not align with this description, but the Apostles' ministry with those in the church was gentle, loving, and affectionate.  Perhaps the idea of gentleness and its place in ministry is not what we have thought it to be.

Here gentle is the word "ēpios" meaning affable, showing warmth, pleasant to talk to.  The same word is referenced in the verse below.  The word "cherisheth" to which the ministry is compared means to keep warm and foster with tender love & care.

"And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." II Timothy 2:24-26

Are we gentle to just those who agree with us?  Or to just our brothers and sisters in the Lord?  No.  We are to be gentle to all men.  Why?  It directly impacts our ability to teach others and lead them into the faith.

"To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." Titus 3:2-3

Here is the crux of the matter.  If you have truly been renewed by the Spirit of God, you have gratitude towards God in your heart.  Knowing then that God saved you in spite of yourself, you can have compassion on those who are lost because you remember the condition from which you were saved. You don't talk down to them because you know that, but for the grace of God go I.

This word for gentle is "epieikēs" and means: seeming, suitable, equitable, moderate, and fair.  This gentleness is also listed as one of the criteria for a bishop (I Timothy 3:3).

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

Gentleness is also declared to be a quality of Godly wisdom.  We do not have to hit people over the head with the truth, nor call them names or degrade them.  Such will only drive them away.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God in and of itself (Romans 1:16).  God's wisdom changes man's heart because it is pure words, easily intreated, merciful, bearing good fruit, and without hypocrisy.  It is simply the truth and stands on its own.  If our "wisdom" does not reflect these characteristics, then it is not wisdom from above.  It is carnal wisdom from below (James 3:15).  The Spirit of God Himself will do the work as we proclaim His words.

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." II Corinthians 10:1-3

When we are gentle with others, are we just being weak?  No.  We are reflecting the Spirit of Christ who Himself was meek and gentle.  Even in the context of addressing correction and a spiritual war, the gentleness of the Apostle is still present in his pleadings. How so?  By not being self-assertive.  It is always the work & will of the Father being done, so there is no need for arrogance or condemnation. It is not himself he is defending (or his position), but he is presenting the wisdom and truths of God. 

While the word of God is a sword, the word should never be used to try and cut others down. It is the difference between Peter using a sword to cut off the High Priest's servant's ear (John 18:10) and the Lord using the sword to divide between soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).  The first instance is a carnal work where the person is so maligned by the sword that they are inhibited from even hearing God's word.  In the other, it is in internal work where the sword removes the hardened & calloused part of the heart so that the person can spiritually live.  There is a difference between the concision and the circumcision (Philippians 3:2-3).  Even in the heat of battle, the man and woman of God is always under the temperance of the Holy Spirit.

Note that nowhere in Scripture is gentleness defined as being walked upon, taken advantage of, or a shrinking violet.  These are worldly depictions.  Gentleness is not the same as weakness; it is not an effeminate character trait, nor is it mushy sentimentality.  It is a fruit of the Spirit of the living God and should be present in all of God's children.  It denotes quiet strength...power under control...disciplined authority.

A visual representation might be that of a stallion who has been broken so that he can be ridden.  The horse is no longer a wild creature, doing as he wills; his strength and power has been harnessed under the hand of his Master.  Gentleness means being fit for God to use, having integrity and kindness, embodying fairness and equity.  You cannot try to be gentle; that is just the work of the flesh.  Being gentle is not being soft, it is simply being under the control of the Spirit.  As we are led by God's Spirit, we will find gentleness increasing within us (as with all fruit of the Spirit), coming from a heart of thanksgiving to the Lord.

We do not war after the flesh.  People are not our enemy, but the Devil and his horde of demons are.  Have no mercy for the Devil, but may our conversations with each other be seasoned with salt.  Our goal is to save as many from Satan's bewitchment as would be saved.  May God continue to teach us how to wage war with, and give us victory over, the Devil while saving those whom he takes captive at his will.

Deathnosis

The Only Thing That Matters

Death brings about a peculiar reaction in people.  Folks talk about hypnosis, well I think there is such a thing as "deathnosis" (yes, it has come to the point where I am now making up words).  What is deathnosis, you ask?  It is the altered state of consciousness people enter when the topic of death comes up.  It is a fantasy-based mindset in which the realities of death and the hereafter are glossed over in favor of whatever fluffy alternative a person chooses to believe.

For example, have you ever noticed how everyone who dies is said to be in a "better place"?  If Jesus says that most people are actually traversing the broad road which leads to destruction, then what is this better place of which people speak (Matthew 7:13-14)?  In addressing the topic of death with others, it has been said to me, "Well, so-and-so is now reunited with all of the family and friends who went on before them, so I know they are okay."  Really?  What if these friends & family are in Hell?  Does it soothe their conscious and turn their time in Hell into a great celebration because they are together again with those deceased loved ones?  I have seen obituaries so doctored that I couldn't even recognize the person described. Deathnosis.

I am not saying to speak ill of the dead.  What is done is done, and there is a judge we all will face after our deaths (Hebrews 9:27).  I am saying that we must face the truth about death and the condition of life after death.  This reality is not going to change just because we don't want to accept it.  No amount of preaching the deceased into Heaven is actually going to get them there if they did not live for Christ.  Do not go through life falsely believing that your "good" works or motivations will save you...they won't.

In fact, almost nothing will get people more riled up than to refuse to glorify the dead.  They are aghast at the fact that the only thing which matters is whether a person knew Christ and were known by Him (Matthew 7:22-23).  It is inconceivable to those in the world (including many professing Christians) that God will reject those who have not given themselves as living sacrifices in obedience to Christ.

It doesn't matter whether you spend your days feeding & clothing the poorest of the poor in the streets.  You can be the leader of a great nation or an unrelenting champion for social justice.  All that matters is that which has eternal weight and your entire eternal destiny rests solely on one thing: your relationship with Jesus Christ.  To many in the world this is illogical and even fanatical.  People ask me, "You are willing to discount all that a person had or did just because they denied Jesus Christ?"  And my answer is, "Yes!".

You see, I believe the Scriptures when they say that there is none good but God (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19).  Further, I know from my own experience that such is true. In my first job after college, there was a co-worker who had no car.  She also lived quite a distance from the office and had two small children whom she had to pick up on the way.  Even though she lived in a different direction than I did, I offered to give her a ride home in the evenings so that she did not have to walk.  Was this a "good" thing to do?  Sure.  Was it a selfless act?  Not in the least.  You see, I gave her a ride so that "I" would be seen. I wanted everyone to see what a wonderful & giving person I was.  I couldn't have cared less about this particular woman or her struggle.  From the outside I may have looked magnanimous, but on the inside I stank to high Heaven.

We don't know the motivations behind what other people do...and maybe not even always behind what we do ourselves.  The heart is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  The world wants you to believe that we can be good people apart from God.  Do not fall for this lie.  Oftentimes, what we interpret as people's acts of kindness are really something else indeed outside of Christ.  People may be trying to impress others with their own self-righteousness.  It can be expressions of false humility.  They may be trying to earn God's [or people's] acceptance through good [dead] works.  They may be trying to do penance for the sin in their lives.  All of this represents a failure to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Good works just do not give you insight into the true condition of the human heart.  Even the most defiled heart can still be nice to his neighbor.  This is why God does not judge by outward appearance and urges us not to as well (John 7:24, 8:15-16; John 2:1-9).  God looks at the heart (Genesis 5:4; Psalm 7:9, 26:2; Isaiah 13:14; Ezekiel 14:4; Jeremiah 11:20, 17:20; Joel 2:13; Hebrews 4:12-13).

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

The value of our lives is not based on what others have meant to us or what we have meant to them.  That is self-centeredness.  The hardest thing for people to accept is that this life is not all about what we want...and neither is our death.  Our eternal destiny is not some happy-go-lucky fairytale independent of the life we have lived on this earth.  For all eternity, we will reap either the consequences or rewards of the choices we have made here and now.

Know this, the person whom the world gathers around with much fan-fair to raise as a Godly example is likely to be one most estranged from God (John 15:19, 17:14-16; 1 John 4:5, 5:19).  We cannot walk in truth by adopting worldly standards of righteousness.  Don't be lulled into accepting such depictions simply because it soothes fallen man's conscience not to have to deal with the realities - and consequences - of sin (Romans 6:23).  No matter what you have believed, no matter what reputation you have in the world, no matter how may good deeds you have done, the question of eternal importance is, "Have you been reconciled to the Father through the Lord Jesus?" 

You can be sure that your living is not in vain.  You can be delivered from the fantasies of Deathnosis, preventing you from acknowledging that we answer to an omnipotent God who will judge our eternal destiny according to His will.  You don't have to make up false depictions of some Heavenly utopia in order to escape the stark realities of death.  Death is real, but it is simply a doorway into our eternal existence...either with God or apart from Him.

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:13-18

There is a hope and a comfort we can find in our existence after death, but only for those who are found in Christ. That hope and comfort is that we will be forever with Him; sharing in the riches of His love, power, and glory.

No matter what any man says, the Bible is abundantly clear.  Everyone is not going to some pie in the sky after death.  You had better know that every departing soul from this world is going to come face-to-face with a Sovereign Judge who will only be concerned with one thing: "Have you obeyed my word?" (Matthew 7:21).  As people say, there are no atheists in Hell.  Every single person there knows that Jesus Christ is most certainly very real.  Don't wait until it is too late to get to know this fact for yourselves. 

"And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:15

The following is a good series on the topic of death by Min. David Pawson:

• Death
• Between Death & Resurrection
• Resurrection
• Judgment
• Hell