Philosophy Jesus Style - Martin Wiles

And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50

Fundamentalist was the term Dad used to describe himself. 

Mom’s take on things, I was unsure about. Occasionally, I would pick up vibes that she disagreed with some of Dad’s philosophy. I knew he believed faith was the way to God, but the constant emphasis on rules seemed to interfere with what he attempted to teach me about God. What seeped through was the “thou shalt not’s.” When I finally began meditating on God’s Word rather than just reading it, I discovered God wanted more in our relationship than me obeying a list. 

I doubt the sinful woman who approached Jesus was a churchgoer. She was considered a “sinner” and probably wouldn’t have been welcome. She wasn’t at this party either, but for some reason, Simon, the host, didn’t throw her out. Perhaps her actions toward Jesus astonished the guests and Simon so much that they couldn’t speak. Maybe they let her carry out her actions so they could get more proof that Jesus wasn’t the Messiah. Either way, she stayed and cried on Jesus’ feet, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume.

Jesus rewarded her actions with praise. He didn’t give her a list of things to do when she left if she wanted to be His disciple. He merely recognized her faith and told her to go in peace. She had discovered what the religious leaders thought they had—but hadn’t. Their service to God was like mine when I was young—obeying a list of commands. Jesus went deeper with the woman.

The philosophy of the religious elite of Jesus’ day was plain. One connected to God through obeying numerous rituals and hundreds of commands. The result was failure and turmoil. By allowing the sinful woman to perform her ritual, Jesus tried to demonstrate their error. His philosophy has to do with repentance and faith. Her actions portrayed her faith, and her faith—not rote obedience to rules--saved her. She received what the religious snobs tried so hard but failed to obtain—a relationship.

What philosophy of religion are you following? If it doesn’t include repentance and faith, it will fail you.

Father, remind me that the way to You is through faith and repentance. 

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Holding to the Truth - Martin Wiles

Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ. Ephesians 4:15 NLT

He was a hell-fire-and-brimstone preacher who held to the truth . . . regardless.

My dad preached for forty years. He labeled himself a “fundamentalist.” I re-discovered the truth of this when I listened to the only recorded sermon of his I have. He was a young man at the time, in his late 30’s. His voice undulated with passion. He preached the “unadulterated” gospel with zeal. He didn’t mince words to be politically correct; he simply preached what the Bible said. If the Bible called something sin, he did, too—regardless of what anyone else thought.

Dad held to the truth, as Paul instructed early believers to do. Only Paul included to do so with love. As early believers took the gospel into the world, they encountered pagan lies. Confronting those lies meant speaking the truth, but getting the people to listen required speaking it in love.

Spiritual truth isn’t always pretty. It can cut to the quick and raise the hackles on necks. When violating it and having someone call our hand, we can follow our gut reaction, get angry, and snap back. Truth reminds us of how ugly we can act.

The truth of the matter is we are born sinners. We may have been a pretty baby, but we had an ugly nature. It just didn’t show up initially. We didn’t arrive with a clean slate that was later corrupted by a sinful environment, although our circumstances can affect it. All Satan must do is capitalize on what is already present.

The truth is also that we will live and die the same way unless we allow God to do something about our nature. He can change it but won’t unless we agree with Him that we have sinned.

But the prettier truth is God can change us. By repenting of our sins and believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we can exchange our ugliness for Christ’s righteousness. This new nature won’t take away our struggle to obey—in fact, it will intensify it. But now God has something to work with. He can bring us into a state of obedience to His commands. A condition we could never enter before.

Have you accepted the cold hard truth about your nature?

Father, may I never shy away from the truth but speak it boldly to people who need to hear. 

Tweetable: Are you holding to the truth? 

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Worthy of the Calling - Martin Wiles

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling. Ephesians 4:1 NLT

Ralph Johnson was following God’s call but wasn’t sure he was worthy of the calling.

As a young adult, he had entered the ministry. With one son in tow and two more to come, he lived his life by the biblical mandate that if a man can’t control his family, he was not worthy to lead God’s church.

This wasn’t an issue until his firstborn began experimenting with teenage rebellion. Had it just been talking back, he could have handled it, but it went further. He cut school, drank, smoked, and experimented with drugs. To top it off, he didn’t care who knew. And many church folks did.

For the next four years, Ralph battled bouts of depression and threatened to resign. He breathed a sigh of relief when his oldest son graduated high school, but more challenges came when his two younger sons decided to follow in their older brother’s footsteps. For most of his ministry, Ralph didn’t feel worthy of his calling.

God often places special callings on our lives, but the foundational calling is his invitation to believe and serve. Obedience is the acid test that we’re walking worthy of our calling. Jesus said if we loved him, we would obey.

Obedience produces certain traits, demonstrating we’re worthy of the calling. One is humility. Not weakness. Not being someone’s doormat. Instead, not thinking more of ourselves than we should—but at the same time, not less. Another is gentleness. Not prone to revenge. A third is patience. Recognizing God is working to form us more into his likeness. A fourth is unity. We’re bound to other believers by the mutual belief that Jesus is the only way to the Father. And finally, peace. Searching for common ground that unifies rather than differences that divide.

Walking worthy of our calling takes work, diligence, and ingenuity. Most of all, it takes allowing God to guide our steps.

What traits are keeping you from walking worthy of your calling?

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the calling You have issued to be Your representatives in this world. Help us walk worthy of that calling. 

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Being God’s Man - Martin Wiles

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. Hebrews 11:7 NLT

Everybody has a father story, and they run the gamut. 

I grew up in a traditional family. My father was present, supportive, and loving. Many families aren’t as fortunate. Some fathers drink to excess, abuse or run around on their wives, spend the family’s money on addictions, or simply aren’t around. 

Noah certainly wasn’t a perfect man or father, but he was good enough that the Bible holds him up as worthy of emulation. In a time when everyone was going the wrong way, Noah went the right way. In a time when water came up from the ground, Noah believed God when He said it would soon come from the sky—and for 40 days and nights. 

From the life of Noah, we can build an acronym for FATHER.

F-aithful

Noah was faithful to God, his family, and others. His faithfulness to God is what saved him from the flood. He wanted his family on board with him, and he also warned others of God’s impending judgment. 

A-vailable

Out of all the world’s population, Noah was available when God told him about the flood and when He gave him directions to prepare for it. Noah was available to any who wanted to hear about what he was doing and why. 

Jesus was continually available to others too, and, as His follower, I must represent His interests. 

T-houghtful

Thoughtful involves the ideas of being helpful, trusting, considerate, and mindful of others. Noah must have thought of the thousands who were ignoring what he was telling them about the upcoming flood. He attended to detail when building the ark. Failing to do so could have resulted in their demise. 

H-ardened

Noah was solid and dependable. Fathers should be the foundational stone for the family. God holds them accountable for being the spiritual leaders. 

E-ffective

We all want to see results. Noah did. Animals came. The ark came together and withstood the flood. God preserved him and his family. Noah put his faith in practice and used effective fatherly methods. The foundation my father laid led me in the right direction.

R-esponsible

Noah demonstrated his responsibility by obeying God, caring for his family, tending to the animals, and warning others about God’s judgment. A responsible father fulfills his obligations and duties in life. He cares for those he has been given responsibility for. 

God can give the strength needed to be a good father. 

Prayer: Father, transform us into the fathers and husbands You want us to be. 

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