HEBREWS 12:14 (NIV) Warning and Encouragement 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be HOLY; without HOLINESS no one will see the Lord.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:1 King James Version (KJV) 7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS in the fear of God.
1PETER1:15-16 (KJV) But as he which hath called you is HOLY, so be ye HOLY in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye HOLY; for I am HOLY.
TITUS 2:11-14 (NIV) 11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
PSALMS 119:9 (KJV) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
2 TIMOTHY 1:9 (KJV) Who hath saved us, and called us with an HOLY CALLING, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
PSALM 139:23-24 (NIV) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
PHILLIPIANS 2:5 (NIV) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
PHILLIPIANS 2:14-16 (NIV) Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be BLAMELESS and HARMLESS, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.
EPHESIANS 5:3 (NIV) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.
ROMANS 12:1I (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
ROMANS 6:22 (NIV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto HOLINESS, and the end everlasting life.
Critics often ask why we should believe in Christianity over all other religions in the world. How can it be that only Christianity is true? If God exists, why can’t God use different religions? Don’t all paths lead to God? Skeptics ask these kinds of questions all the time, and unfortunately, few Christians have the answers.
Nevertheless, they cannot be different paths of the same God because they teach different gods, and contradict each other. And, none of the other religions have Jesus who claimed to be God in the flesh, fulfilled detailed prophecy, died on the cross, and three days later rose from the dead. Therefore, in an attempt to demonstrate why Christianity is true, and all other religious systems are false, I’ve prepared the following list of reasons for Christianity’s superiority.
There are such things as absolute truths
If truth is relative, then the statement that truth is relative is an absolute truth statement and would be a self-defeating statement by proving that truth is not relative. But, if the truth is absolute, then the statement “truth is absolute” is true and not self-defeating. It is true that truth exists. It is true that truth will not contradict itself, as we have just seen. It is true that you are reading this paper.
If we can see that there is such a thing as truth in the world, then we could also see that there can be spiritual truth as well. It is not absurd to believe in spiritual absolutes anymore than physical or logical absolutes. Even the statement that all religions lead to God is a statement held to be a spiritual absolute by many people. This demonstrates that people do believe in spiritual truth. Why? Because truth exists. However, not all that is believed to be true is true. Furthermore, all belief systems cannot be true since they often contradict each other in profound ways – and the truth is not self-contradictory.
Religions contradict each other; therefore, they cannot all be true.
Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence and that you can become a god. Christianity teaches that there is only one God, and you cannot become a god. Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in the flesh – where Christianity does. Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time. Some religions teach that we reincarnate, while others do not. Some teach there is a hell, and others do not. They cannot all be true. If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God.
Furthermore, it means that some religions are, at the very least, false in their claims to reveal the true God (or gods). Remember, truth does not contradict itself. If God exists, He will not institute mutually exclusive and contradictory belief systems in an attempt to get people to believe in Him. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that there can be absolute spiritual truth and that not all systems can be true regardless of whether or not they claim to be true. There must be more than a mere claim.
Fulfilled prophecy concerning Jesus
Though other religions have prophecies in them, none are 100% accurate as is the Bible; and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds. The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, yet the Old Testament prophesied many things about Jesus. This is undoubtedly evidence of divine influence upon the Bible.
Please consider some of the many prophecies of Jesus in the following chart:
Fulfillment of prophecy can have different explanations. Some state that the New Testament was written and altered to make it look as if Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (but there is no evidence of that). Others state that the prophecies are so vague that they do not count (but many of the predictions are not vague at all). Of course, it is possible that God inspired the writers; and Jesus, who is God in the flesh, fulfilled these prophecies as a further demonstration of the validity of Christianity.
The claims and deeds of Christ
Christianity claims to be authored by God. Of course, merely making such a claim does not make it true. Anyone can make claims, but backing up those claims is entirely different. Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58), the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in Exodus 3:14. Jesus said He could do whatever He saw God the Father do (John 5:19), and He claimed to be one with God the Father (John 10:30; 10:38). Likewise, the disciples also called Him God (John 1:1, 14; John 10:27; Col. 2:9). By default, if Jesus is God in the flesh, then whatever He said and did would be true. Since Jesus said that He alone was the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no one can find God without Him (John 14:6), His words become incredibly important.
Again, making a claim is one thing. Backing it up is another. Did Jesus also back up His fantastic words with miraculous deeds? Yes, He did.
Jesus appeared to disciples after His resurrection (John 20:19).
The eyewitnesses recorded the miracles of Jesus, and the gospels have been reliably transmitted to us. Therefore, we can believe what Jesus said about Himself for two reasons: one, because what He said and did agree with the Old Testament; and two, because Jesus performed many convincing miracles in front of people who testified and wrote about what they saw Him do.
Christ’s resurrection
Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important. Without the resurrection, our faith is useless (1 Cor. 15:14). It was Jesus’ resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples. After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid. But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that what Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in the flesh, the Savior.
No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then rose three days later to appear to many many people. This resurrection is proof of who Jesus is, and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for humanity.
Buddha did not rise from the dead. Muhammad did not rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead, etc. Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. Why trust anyone else? Why trust anyone who can be held by physical death when we have a Messiah who is greater than death itself?
Conclusion
Why should anyone trust in Christianity over Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, or anything else? It is because there are absolute truths. Only in Christianity are there accurately fulfilled prophecies of a coming Messiah. Only in Christianity do we have the extremely accurate transmission of the eyewitness documents (gospels). So, we can trust what was originally written. Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, who died and rose from the dead, and who said that He alone was the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). All this adds to the legitimacy and credibility of Christianity above all other religions – all based on the person of Jesus. It could not be that Jesus is the only Truth, and other religions also are the truth.
Either Jesus is true, and all other religions are false, or other religions are true, and Jesus is false. There are no other options. I choose to follow the risen Lord Jesus.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
🌝 After a spinal injury left Marty paralyzed, he decided to go back to school to earn his MBA. Marty’s mother, Judy, helped make his goal a reality. She sat with him through every lecture and study group, jotting notes and handling technology issues.
She even assisted him onto the platform when he received his diploma. What might have been unattainable became possible with the consistent, practical help Marty received.
🙇♂️ Jesus knew His followers would need a similar kind of support after He left the earth. When He told them about His upcoming absence, He said they would gain a new kind of connection with God through the Holy Spirit.
This Spirit would be a moment-by-moment helper—a teacher and guide who would not only live with them but also be in them. The Spirit would provide Jesus’s disciples with internal help from God, which would enable them to endure what they couldn’t handle on their own as they fanned out to share the good news.
In moments of struggle, the Spirit would remind them of everything Jesus said to them: Do not let your hearts be troubled . . . Love one another . . . I am the resurrection and the life.
🙇♀️ Are you facing something that exceeds your own strength and ability ? You can depend on the Spirit’s constant help. God’s Spirit working in you will bring Him the glory He deserves.
We’re never without a helper because we have the Spirit within
🌝 During World War II, small compasses saved the lives of 27 sailors 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Waldemar Semenov, a retired merchant seaman, was serving as a junior engineer aboard the SS Alcoa Guide when a German submarine surfaced and opened fire on the ship.
The ship was hit, caught fire, and began to sink. Semenov and his crew lowered compass-equipped lifeboats into the water and used the compasses to guide them toward the shipping lanes closer to shore. After three days, the men were rescued.
🙇♂️ In Bible times there were no powerful flashlights. On a hazardous journey, the torch was most necessary. God’s Word is the true light to guide the believer through life.
The traveler carried a small oil lamp, whose flax wick gave off only a little light. There was enough to see by. Not enough to see what lay ahead down the path, but enough to take the next step without stumbling or falling.
What a reminder for us. The Word of God is a lamp to our path. It doesn’t illuminate our future, but it does shine in our present. God’s Word gives us the light we need to take our next step in life.
🙇♀️ The psalmist reminded God’s people that His Word was a trustworthy “compass.” He likened it to a lamp. In that day, the flickering light cast by an olive oil lamp was only bright enough to show a traveler his next step.
To the psalmist, God’s Word was such a lamp, providing enough light to illuminate the path for those pursuing God. When the psalmist was wandering in the dark on a chaotic path of life, he believed that God, through the guidance of His Word, would provide direction.
When we lose our bearings in life, we can trust our God who gives His trustworthy Word as our compass, using it to lead us into deeper fellowship with Him.
God has given us His Word to help us know and follow Him
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”
17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem;
Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, … Love not the World!
Sadio Mane, The Liverpool Star from Senegal (earning approximately 10.2 million dollars annually), has given the world a lesson in modesty after some fans spotted him carrying a cracked Iphone.
His response is legendary: “Why would I want ten Ferraris, 20 diamond watches and two jet planes? What would that do for the world? I starved, I worked in the fields, I played barefoot, and I didn’t go to school.
Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing. I have built schools [and] a stadium; we provide clothes, shoes, and food for people in extreme poverty.
In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people from a very poor Senegalese region in order to contribute to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips, and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me,” Mane said.
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Acts 16:40 New International Version
40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
1 Corinthians 1:26-30 New International Version
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
This is crazy. C.S. Lewis wrote these words in his book “The Screwtape Letters” nearly 79 years ago. Amazing how this could have been written today:′′
One young devil asked the old man: “How did you manage to bring so many souls to hell?” The old devil answered: “I instilled fear in them!” Answers the youngster: “Great job! And what were they afraid of? Wars? Hunger?”
Answers the man: “No, they were afraid of the disease!” For this youngster: “Does this mean they didn’t get sick? Are they not dead? There was no rescue for them?” The old man answered: “but no . . . they got sick, died, and the rescue was there.”
The young devil, surprised, answered: “Then I don’t understand???” The old man answered: “You know they believed the only thing they have to keep at any cost is their lives. They stopped hugging, greeting each other. They’ve moved away from each other.
They gave up all social contacts and everything that was human! Later they ran out of money, lost their jobs, but that was their choice because they were afraid for their lives, that’s why they quit their jobs without even having bread. They believed blindly everything they heard and read in the papers.
They gave up their freedoms, they didn’t leave their own homes literally anywhere. They stopped visiting family and friends. The world turned into such a concentration camp, without forcing them into captivity. They accepted everything!!!
Just to live at least one more miserable day . . . And so living, they died every day!!! And that’s how it was very easy for me to take their miserable souls to hell….. ′′C.S. Lewis in 1942 – Old Devil’s Letters To YoungIt sounds like, it feels like …. this is what we are living in and through right now in 2021.
❤️ 🦅 *THE EAGLE* 🦅 ❤️ 🌝 The Scottish preacher John McNeill liked to tell about an eagle that had been captured when it was quite young. The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard.
It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the ground. This bird that once soared high in the heavens seemed satisfied to live the barnyard life of the lowly hen.
🙇♀️ One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd who came down from the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, “What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go ?”
The farmer agreed, so they cut off the restraint. But the eagle continued to wander around, scratching and pecking as before. The shepherd picked it up and set it on a high stone wall.
For the first time in months, the eagle saw the grand expanse of blue sky and the glowing sun. Then it spread its wings and with a leap soared off into a tremendous spiral flight, up and up and up. At last it was acting like an eagle again.
🙇♂️ Perhaps you have let yourself be comfortable in the barnyard of the world — refusing to claim your lofty position as God’s child. *He wants you to live in a higher realm*. Confess and “seek those things which are above.” *You will soon be longing to rise above the mundane things of this world*. Like the eagle, it’s not too late to soar to greater heights again.
– P R Van Gorder *We live in the world, but we must not let the world live in us* 🎊 *Stay Blessed My Friend* 😊 🌹
Acts 18:1-3, 18-21, 24-26 New International Version In Corinth
18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a] and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Romans 16:3-4 New International Version
3 Greet Priscilla[a] and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Spurgeon writes that…You will not gain holiness by standing still. Nobody ever grew holy without consenting, desiring, and agonizing to be holy. Sin will grow without sowing, but holiness needs cultivation. Follow it; it will not run after you. You must pursue it with determination, with eagerness, with perseverance, as a hunter pursues his prey.
God smote an angel down from heaven for sin, and will He let man in with sin in His right hand? God would sooner extinguish heaven than see sin despoil it. It is enough for Him to bear with your hypocrisies on earth. Shall He have them flung in His own face in heaven?
Christ will be master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. If your life is unholy, your heart is unchanged; you are an unsaved person. If the Savior has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, the grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit.
Christ saves His people, not in their sins but from them. Without holiness “no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). “Let every one that names the name of Christ “depart” (a command, not a suggestion) from iniquity”. If not saved from sin, how can we hope to be counted among His people?
The Alpine hunter, when pursuing the antelope, will leap from crag to crag, will wear out the live-long day, will spend the night upon the mountain’s cold brow. He then descends to the valleys and up again to the hills as though he could never tire, and could never rest until he has found his prey.
So perseveringly, with strong resolve to imitate your Lord and Master, follow peace with all._- Compiled (preceptaustin.org)
*The choice to pursue holiness is a matter of life or death*
IN ALL YOGA, these postures are offered to the 330 million Hindu gods. Yoga postures are offerings to the gods. Every single body position has a meaning. Yoga positions were not designed by your local fitness instructor.
They were designed and they were created with demonic intent to open you up to demonic power. The serpent spirit called “Kundalini”. Because Hinduism is demonic. If you do these postures and you do this breathing technique and this meditation, then you will be accepted by a god, little “G.”
That’s the real danger!!!! Yoga’s real goal is to awaken Kundalini power, coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine, ready to spring up to manifest itself through the alleged chakras, (centers of universal force) of the body. It’s demonic!
There are a surprising number of Hindu influences in our North American culture. Many of these go unchecked or even unnoticed by the Christian Church.
“Christian” Yoga for one has really caught on in the Christian community and many church calendars have become filled with Yoga classes. The spiritual effects, though, have been detrimental. Christians will often say about Yoga, “Well, I don’t practice the spiritual part of Yoga, I just do it for the exercise. It’s the same as the Apostle Paul saying it’s OK to eat food sacrificed to idols”(1 Cor
. Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Occult? Oh, come on now! Aren’t we overreacting just a little bit? Yoga is just exercise.” But, did you know that Yoga is one of the essential religious practices of Hinduism? As Subhas Tiwari, a professor of yoga philosophy and mediation at the Hindu University of America in Orlando, Florida stated in the September 5, 2005 issue of Time Magazine —”Yoga is Hinduism.
“And, in fact, Yoga is the major missionary arm of Hinduism and the New Age movement in North America. By Yasmeen Suri
8 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
Mark 15:40New International Version
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[a] and Salome.
John 20:10-18 New International Version
10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands since 2000. Back then, politicians claimed it would curb sex trafficking by offering those in the sex industry the same legal protections as any other worker.
The question is, did it work? The tragic and unsurprising answer: Not at all. The Netherlands is now more of a destination for human trafficking than ever. In response, a groundswell of Dutch citizens is fighting to end this modern-day slavery. https://buff.ly/2val9km
Question: “How should a Christian view self-esteem?”
Answer: Many define self-esteem as “feelings of worth based on their skills, accomplishments, status, financial resources, or appearance.” This kind of self-esteem can lead a person to feel independent and prideful and to indulge in self-worship, which dulls our desire for God. James 4:6 tells us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we only trust in our earthly resources, we will inevitably be left with a sense of worth based on pride. Jesus told us, “You also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10).
This does not mean that Christians should have low self-esteem. It only means that our sense of being a good person should not depend on what we do, but rather on who we are in Christ. We need to humble ourselves before Him, and He will honor us. Psalm 16:2 reminds us, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” Christians attain self-worth and esteem by having a right relationship with God. We can know we are valuable because of the high price God paid for us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
In one sense, low self-esteem is the opposite of pride. In another sense, low-self-esteem is a form of pride. Some people have low self-esteem because they want people to feel sorry for them, to pay attention to them, to comfort them. Low self-esteem can be a declaration of “look at me” just as much as pride. It simply takes a different route to get to the same destination, that is, self-absorption, self-obsession, and selfishness. Instead, we are to be selfless, to die to self, and to deflect any attention given to us to the great God who created and sustains us.
The Bible tells us that God gave us worth when He purchased us to be His own people (Ephesians 1:14). Because of this, only He is worthy of honor and praise. When we have healthy self-esteem, we will value ourselves enough to not become involved in sin that enslaves us. Instead, we should conduct ourselves with humility, thinking of others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Romans 12:3 warns, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.
37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.
38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
Many Samaritans Believe
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Question: “What does the Bible say about self-love, loving self?”
Answer: Love as described in the Bible is quite different from the love as espoused by the world. Biblical love is selfless and unconditional, whereas the world’s love is characterized by selfishness. In the following passages, we see that love does not exist apart from God and that true love can only be experienced by one who has experienced God’s own love firsthand:
Romans 13:9–10, “The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
John 13:34–35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 John 4:16–19, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”
The statement “love your neighbor as yourself” is not a command to love yourself. It is natural and normal to love yourself—it is our default position. There is no lack of self-love in our world. The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is essentially telling us to treat other people as well as we treat ourselves. Scripture never commands us to love ourselves; it assumes we already do. In fact, people in their unregenerate condition love themselves too much—that is our problem.
In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, there was only one who showed himself to be a true neighbor to the man in need: the Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37). There were two others, a priest and a Levite, who refused to help the man in need. Their failure to show love to the injured man was not the result of loving themselves too little; it was the result of loving themselves too much and therefore putting their interests first. The Samaritan showed true love—he gave of his time, resources, and money with no regard for himself. His focus was outward, not inward. Jesus presented this story as an illustration of what it means to love one’s neighbor as one’s self (verse 27).
We are to take our eyes off ourselves and care for others. Christian maturity demands it. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3–4). According to this passage, loving others requires humility, a valuing of others, and a conscious effort to put others’ interests first. Anything less than this is selfish and vain—and falls short of the standard of Christ.
None of this should be taken to mean that we should see ourselves as “worthless.” The Bible teaches that we are created in the image of God, and that fact alone gives us great worth (see Luke 12:7). The balanced, biblical view is that we are God’s unique creation, loved by God in spite of our sin, and redeemed by Christ. In His love, we can love others.
We love others based on God’s abiding love for us in Christ. In response to this love, we share it with all whom we come in contact with—our “neighbors.” Someone who is worried that he doesn’t love himself enough has the wrong focus. His concern, biblically, should be his love for God and his love for his neighbor. “Self” is something we want out of the way so that we can love outwardly as we ought.
All across China, people are talking about Dr Li Wen Liang. He was the doctor who discovered the novel coronavirus and in the early morning of 7 Feb, 2.58 am, he was promoted into glory and went home to be with our Father in heaven.
Back in December last year, he was arrested for being a whistle blower ‘spreading rumors’ about a mysterious pneumonia like virus. This morning we found out he was in fact a fellow brother in Christ. Our hearts are deeply moved by his sacrificial choice to spread awareness about the virus despite the risks he faced, especially to his reputation and to his own health.
He continued to care for patients up until he was infected himself. What a legacy to leave behind of what it means to be like Jesus to those hurting in a time of crisis. He chose to be an example of Immanuel, ‘God with us’ to the people of Wuhan.
Can you imagine the joy he must have felt as he entered into eternity and heard the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? So today, please pray for his family, especially his wife who is also infected and 8 months pregnant with their second child.
May God heal them supernaturally n give them grace, peace, strength and comfort during this time. Dr Li Wen Liang penned a deeply touching Chinese poem below of how he would miss his family, his beloved Wuhan n quoted 2 Tim 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
#jiayouwuhan“The Hero Who Told The Truth” Here is a captivating, heart-touching Chinese poem I’ve tried to translate into English. It was written in memory of Mr Li Wenliang, a Christian doctor and whistleblower who died from the coronavirus himself after being punished for issuing the first warning about the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
“I don’t want to be a hero. I still have my parents, and my children, and my pregnant wife who’s about to give birth, and many of my patients in the ward. Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others, despite my loss and confusion, I should proceed anyway. Who let me choose this country and this family? How many grievances do I have? When this battle is over, I will look up to the sky, with tears like rain.”
我不想當英雄。只是做為醫生，我不能眼看著這不明的病毒，傷害著我的同行。還有那多無辜的人們，他們盡管已奄奄一息，可眼睛裏總望著我，帶著 的希望。 “I don’t want to be a hero. But as a doctor, I cannot just see this unknown virus hurting my peers and so many innocent people. Though they are dying, they are always looking at me in their eyes, with their hope of life.”
誰成想我競死了！我的靈魂分明在天上，望著那張白色的病床，床上分明是我的軀體，軀體上還是那熟悉的臉龐。我的父親母親在哪？還有我親愛的妻子，那當年我苦苦追求的姑娘。 “Who would have ever realized that I was going to die? My soul is in heaven, looking at the white bed, on which lies my own body, with the same familiar face. Where are my parents? And my dear wife, the lady I once had a hard time chasing?”
天上有一道光！那光的盡頭是人們時常說起的天堂。我寧願不去哪裏，我寧願回到武漢我的家鄉。那裏有我新買的房子，每月還要還貸的賬。我怎能舍得，我怎能舍得！沒有兒子的爹娘，該有多麽悲傷；沒有了丈夫的寶貝，該如何面對這未來的滄桑。 “There is a light in the sky! At the end of that light is the heaven that people often talk about. But I’d rather not go there. I’d rather go back to my hometown in Wuhan. I have my new house there, for which I still have to pay off the loan every month. How can I give up? How can I give up? For my parents without their son, how sad must it be? For my sweetheart without her husband, how can she face the vicissitudes in her future?”
我分明死了。我看見他們把我的軀殼，裝進一個袋子。在袋子的近傍有許多死去的同胞，象我一樣，在黎明時分，被推進火的爐堂。 “I am already gone. I see them taking my body, putting it into a bag, with which lie many compatriots gone like me, being pushed into the fire in the hearth at dawn.”
再見了，難舍的親人。永別了，武漢我的故鄉。但願你們在災難過後，還記得曾經有人，努力地讓你們盡早知道真相。但願你們在災難過後，學會正直，不再讓善良的人們，遭受著無盡的恐懼，和無奈的悲傷。 “Goodbye, my dear ones. Farewell, Wuhan, my hometown. Hopefully, after the disaster, you’ll remember someone once tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible. Hopefully, after the disaster, you’ll learn what it means to be righteous. No more good people should suffer from endless fear, and helpless sadness.”
“那美好的仗我已經打完了，應行的路我已行盡了，當守的道我守住了。 從此以後，有公義的冠冕為我留存。”《聖經》提摩太後書4． 7″I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.”2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible
