“Biblical Knowledge”

Apostasy

John 8:31-32

³¹ So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

When people leave other religions and become a Christian, it’s because they have discovered the truth.

When they leave Christianity to join another religion, it’s because they never KNEW the truth.

 

“Biblical Knowledge”

Accountability for the Knowledge of God

2 Kings 22 and 23

There are many things that are done by society that conflict with what God expects from His people.  Since we are unaware of the origin of many things, we are not always aware of practices that may insult or offend God.  We have incorporated many things in our worship of God, and we have done so out of ignorance.  As Hosea 4:6 informs us, God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.  The “lack of knowledge” that Hosea is referring to is rejected knowledge, not ignorance.  The question may arise, “where do we draw the line in what we alter in our lives that may be an offense to God?”  When we become aware or knowledgeable that our way is in conflict with God’s way, we need to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that we are following God’s plan.  In 2 Kings 22:11 King Josiah discovered that Judah was in opposition to God’s laws and his actions after that signaled that he was repentant for the actions of the citizens of Judah, as well as the offensive deeds of his predecessors.  In verses 22 and 23 he sent men to inquire of God concerning the sins of Judah.  In chapter 23 Josiah made a covenant with God to obey His commands.  Then he removed and destroyed every image in God’s house that was built to honor a false god.  He removed all of the idolatrous priests who had taken up residence in the house of the Lord.  Josiah destroyed every altar that was set up to worship a false god.  He removed the male and female prostitutes from within the house of the Lord.  Everything that could be burned was burned.  Everything that could be ground into powder was ground.  He completely destroyed everything that was an offense to God.  As a result of Josiah humbling himself and repenting when he realized that he was in error, God promised that He would not punish Josiah, but He would punish Judah for their many offenses and rejection of God. 

God has provided us with the Holy Bible to teach us what He approves of and disapproves of.  He has also gifted us with men who are qualified to expound on His Word in order to gives us better understanding of what God desires of us.  Therefore, God has eliminated every excuse that we could use to justify our actions when it comes to doing things that He disapproves of.  If we are repentant for our offenses against God when we become aware of them, God is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our sins.        

 “Stewardship of Health”

Spiritual Health

Our flesh and our spirit are in constant warfare with one another.  The success of both is determined by what we feed our spirit.  If we allow negativity from the things we view, what we listen to, and the people we associate with on a regular basis to constantly enter our spirit, our spirit will become weaker and weaker.  When we allow sound and wholesome things to enter our spirit from the things we view, what we listen to, and the people we surround ourselves with on a regular basis, our spirit will stand up and dictate our words, actions, and thoughts.  Our spirit is affected by what enters it regularly; just as our bodies are affected by the food that enters it on a regular basis.  Eating a healthy meal ONCE a week will not cancel out the effects of eating unhealthy meals 6 days a week.  Neither will a healthy spiritual meal once a week cancel out the negative effects of an unhealthy spiritual diet 6 days a week.  An unhealthy spiritual diet will breed the “can’t help its.”  Fasting, prayer and the study of the Word of God will help strengthen our spirit.

We need to be vigilant in protecting ourselves from the negative indoctrination of others.  The internet is full of images and ideas that can create a range of emotions in people.   Viewing visual mediums such as cell phones and computers on a consistent basis can have a damaging effect on us.  We can lose our ability to think critically and to reason rationally.   This change may not always be noticeable to us, but others may observe it in us. In like manner, as our thinking can be negatively impacted by what we view, our spirits become weaker in the battle for dominance over our flesh.   One of the most difficult things for people to do is to resist the urge to use their cell phone or computer for an extended period of time.  This is an indication of how much of a hold these items have on us as a society. 

Another threat to the strength of our spirit is having close associations with individuals whose thinking conflicts with the teachings of the Bible.  Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “Bad company corrupts good morals.”  It is essential that we reserve our close connections for those who are like minded toward Christ.  While we should seek to maintain a good reputation with everyone, it is important that we do not place ourselves in a position to mimic the wrong actions of others.  Ephesians 5:11 says, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.”

In closing, the Bible gives us assurance by acknowledging that the Holy Spirit has been given to us in order to aid us in our walk with Christ.  We must exercise caution in who we allow ourselves to be surrounded by.  There is plenty of content online that do not benefit our lives in Christ.  It is important that we identify it and avoid it. 

Philippians 4:8

 ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

 “Stewardship of Health”

Mental Health

As good stewards over the bodies that God has given us, maintaining mental stability should be a key focus.   One valuable lesson that we learn from 2 Timothy 1:7 is, that God did not give us a spirit of fear but He has given us power, love and the ability to think soundly.  Having a sound mind allows us to be effective in every area of our lives. 

In order to function properly, it is essential for us to ensure that part of our schedule includes us getting rest.  When we do not receive sufficient rest, our view of the world can become extremely distorted.  Sleep deprivation has a major impact on how we function mentally.  Many mood disorders, such as irritability, are also directly related to a lack of sleep. 

Lack of sleep may have a deleterious effect on our brains as well.  Our brain is a self-repairing organ and while we are asleep, old cells and dead cells are discarded and new cells are formed.  When we fail to get sufficient rest, the new cells can form on top of the dead cells, leading to the development of brain tumors.  Symptoms of these tumors can range from developing severe headaches to having difficulty walking.

The mind is a battleground and Satan is always engaged in battle with us to conquer this territory because creating a stronghold in our minds allows him to have success in wreaking havoc in our lives.  In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was on the run from Jezebel after she threatens his life.  His fear caused him to flee into the wilderness for a full day.  After stopping to rest from exhaustion, Elijah prayed for God to allow him to die because he had come to the end of his road.  When fear is combined with fatigue, even the bravest warrior can become faint of heart.  Elijah fell asleep under a tree and an angel woke him up and told him to eat the meal that had been prepared for him.  Once he had eaten, Elijah fell asleep again.  The angel returned with a second meal and once more instructed Elijah to eat. 

Elijah’s need for rest and proper nourishment caused him to have a distorted perspective of the current events.  The reason Jezebel had threatened his life is because Elijah had just killed all of her Baal worshiping prophets.  Having a proper perspective of the situation would have resulted in Elijah standing his ground.  He would have realized that the same God that made him victorious against Jezebel’s prophets would have made him victorious against her. 

It is important that we develop a proper balance rest and other activities.  God allows us sufficient time to rest, in addition to other activities.  Allowing our minds to have time to rest and reboot gives us more of an opportunity to function with a sound mind.

 “Stewardship of Health”

Emotional Health

Many times we tend to place more burdens on ourselves than is necessary.  We may experience frustration whenever our priorities are not rightly aligned.  For example, we may have a desire to earn a specific income or acquire a particular position in our vocation or our church and the failure to do so may cause us to lose sleep, become depressed, or develop a poor attitude.  Browsing the internet and watching snapshots of other people’s lives and comparing our “insignificant” lives with the perception of the other person’s success can leave us feeling unfulfilled, inadequate, or lead us into depression. 

Another contributor to people becoming emotionally drained is the failure to establish proper boundaries with others.  While we should be available to listen to the problems and concerns of others, there is a point in which we need to make ourselves unavailable so that we can have an opportunity to regroup and recover from the burdens of others that we may have taken on ourselves.  Once we have been recharged we are free to engage them once more.  In John 11:35 we see that Jesus wept as He felt the pain of Mary and the others who were distressed over the death of Lazarus.  Although He knew that He was about to restore the life of Lazarus, Jesus still took a moment to express His compassion and to grieve with those who were grieving.  After expressing His sympathy for those who were hurting, Jesus resumed the mission that He was there to fulfill.

Experiencing poor emotional health can also be the result of a lack of trust in God.  As Jerry Bridges points out in his book, Trusting God, “If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control, then we cannot trust Him.  His love may be infinite, but if His power is limited and His purpose can be thwarted, we cannot trust Him.”    

In summary, it is possible to experience emotional instability when we lack balance in our perspective and when we fail to make Jesus our source.  While trusting God requires more than making an emotional decision, doing so does benefit us EMOTIONALLY.  We conclude with one final quote from Jerry’s book:  “Trusting God is not a matter of my feelings but of my will.  I never feel like trusting God when adversity strikes, but I can choose to do so even when I don’t feel like it.  That act of the will, though, must be based on belief, and belief must be based on truth.”

 “Stewardship of Health”

Stewardship of our Health

First Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds believers in Christ that He completely owns us.  The Scripture acknowledges, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.” 

As we continue to examine the significance of stewardship, we zero in on an area that is often overlooked or taken for granted:  health.  While we are responsible for maintaining our physical health, it is important to understand that we should also focus on our spiritual, mental, and emotional health as well.  Many times we are unable to function as we should because we have not maintained our physical bodies in proper health.  It is important to ensure that we receive adequate rest so that we are able to perform physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Physical

Our physical body is the part of us that we may be the most consciously aware of because it houses our five senses.  One important component for maintaining our physical health is rest.  When we do not make a point to rest our bodies, we become susceptible to different types of sicknesses.  While adults understand that rest is vital for the healthy growth of children, we also have to understand that rest is just as essential for adults. 

Along with rest, proper exercise and diet are necessary for experiencing a good quality of life.  The older we get, the more our bodies wear down.  Walking is an extremely good exercise to maintain cardiovascular health. 

Preaching is one responsibility that requires an individual’s heart to be healthy.  When a pastor is projecting their voice or talking for long periods of time, they are exerting energy and their heart is getting a workout.  If they are not mindful to exercise regularly, their hearts will have to work even harder.  Preaching and teaching are speaking gifts that require us to maintain good physical health.  Along with exercise, it is equally important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.  The foods we eat can have an effect on our mood, our ability to rest, and our health since it can make us susceptible to multiple diseases. 

In summary, we understand that we are stewards and it is our responsibility to properly care for the bodies that have been entrusted to us.  In order for us to fulfill this task, it is necessary for us to get proper rest, have a healthy diet and maintain a regular exercise regimen.    

 “Stewardship of Time”

Time with Others

The final topic that we will address in the area of stewardship of time is the subject of spending time with others.  God expects for us to engage in healthy relationships with others within the body of Christ.  As we focus on important principles found within the word of God, we learn in Proverbs 27:17 that, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  Life will present us with many challenges and it is imperative that we have people in our lives who can walk with us through our most difficult trials.

When we spend time developing appropriate relationships within the body of Christ, we have the privilege of spending time with those who have the ability to encourage us as well as hold us accountable.  In a world that has devolved to the degree that many people view standards as a violation of their rights, it is necessary for us to surround ourselves with others who still believe that implementing a Godly standard in our lives is the best method for functioning in life. 

Many jewels can be found in Hebrews 10:23-25 in regard to the way that believers should interact with one another.  It reads, ²³ Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, ²⁵ not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 

Some have come to believe that it is no longer necessary for us to fellowship together.  However, the Bible does not support this irrational belief.  Although being in the presence of other believers may provide spiritual stability, we can receive physical, mental and psychological benefits from our communion as well.  We should be diligent to fellowship with other believers and EVEN MORE SO as we observe continued denigration of the world. 

Relationships take time to strengthen and solidify.  Whether we are managing time in our relationship with God, our family, or our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must be good stewards of our time.