Several years ago I asked a friend how things were going and if he had gotten a job, since I knew that he had been searching for one. In the course of our conversation he informed me that he had landed a job with a certain company. I was surprised and asked him how he had  managed to get a job there, since it was very difficult to get in.

He relayed to me that he showed up there on Monday morning at 8:00 am and asked to talk to the Personnel Manager. After an introduction and laying out his qualifications and desire to work for the company, he was told by the Manager that there were no openings at that time. On Tuesday morning, at 8:00 am, he showed up again and asked to see the Personnel Manager who was quick to ask him why he had returned. My friend told him that he wanted to get a job there. The Manager responded that he had already explained to him the previous day that there were no openings at that time.

On Wednesday, my friend showed up again at 8:00 am and asked to see the Personnel Manager.  The Manager told him once more that they had no openings. On Thursday, at 8:00 am,  my friend showed up again. The Manager took one look at him and said: “Just report for work tomorrow at 8:00 am.”

“So that’s how I got the job there,” my friend told me. “I guess, my persistence paid off.”

Indeed it had. Persistence can be described as an ongoing effort and action in spite of opposition, obstacles, set-backs, rejection or discouragement.

The concept of persistence can be found in the Bible. For instance, Christ gave the following parable of the widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8:

“And He also spoke a parable to them to teach it is always right to pray, and not to faint, saying, A certain judge was in a certain city, not fearing God, nor respecting man. And a widow was in that city. And she came to Him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not do so for a time. But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, that she not wear me down in the end. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He has been long-suffering over them? I say to you that He will avenge them speedily. Yet when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?”

The admonition is clear. We are not to throw in the towel if we are rejected the first time. We need to keep seeking, asking and knocking.

Perhaps God is really testing our persistence when we ask for something and do not receive an immediate response. What should we do? We should keep asking until we obtain what we have requested or until it is clearly revealed to us, for instance through obvious circumstances, that God’s answer in a particular situation is “No.”

Paul asked God to be healed. He might have suffered from an eye problem or even from malaria, as some commentators suggest. Did he quit after his first request was not answered in the way Paul had expected? No. He asked three times–apparently being anointed three times–until God’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Paul clearly realized, after his third request, that God would not heal him in this life, and Paul accepted and even gladly submitted to God’s Will.

Sometimes we are asked to pray for an individual who is suffering from a sickness or who has a different serious problem. Do we quit praying after a few days, or do we continue until the person is healed or his problem is solved, or particular circumstances clearly reveal that God’s Will is different than what we were praying for?

Christ gives this promise to the Philadelphia church: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:18-19 to pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel…”

God commands us to be persistent and to persevere–just like the unjust judge who granted the widow her request and the Personnel Manager who gave my friend his job. They obtained what they desired because they would not give up.

How persistent are you?

Last week’s Editorial asked, “Are you a GOOD Christian?” This week, let us ask, “Are we REAL Christians?” If you answered “yes,” how do you know?

Are we real Christians because we believe in God and Christ? James 2:19 says “… Even the demons believe…” Clearly, demons are NOT Christians. So just believing in the existence of God does not make us real Christians.

Does observing the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days and Festivals like the Passover make us real Christians? 1 Corinthians 11:27 says it is possible to observe the Passover in the wrong way and “…be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” So just observing God’s weekly and annual Festivals and Holy Days, even though necessary, does not make us real Christians.

What if our knowledge of God’s truth is superior to others? What if we have a better understanding of prophecy; a more perfect grasp of the mysteries of the Bible; and if we are more full of faith than others? Surely these things alone make us real Christians, right? Wrong! 1 Corinthians 13:2 says it is possible to have ALL of these things and STILL be “nothing” in the eyes of God, if something else is missing.

The truth is that neither praying (Matthew 6:5; 23:14); preaching (Psalm 50:16; 1 Corinthians 9:27); fasting (Isaiah 58:3-5; Matthew 6:16); tithing (Luke 11:42; 18:12); giving (Matthew 6:1-2); nor even giving up our life under certain circumstances (1 Corinthians 13:3); are enough, to make us real Christians in God’s eyes, which are the only eyes that count. Of course, right prayer; right fasting; right tithing; right giving, including our very lives; and right preaching by those who are commissioned by God to preach; ARE absolutely necessary; but God must see something else in us to consider us real Christians.

In this Editorial, we will be discussing three most important attributes which must be present in our lives, if we want to be real Christians.

Firstly, the Bible clearly shows that real Christians must speak the truth (Ephesians 4:15, 25); walk in truth (2 John 1:4); and worship in truth (John 4:23-24). What is more, 2 Thessalonians 2:10 shows it is not possible to be saved without a deep and genuine LOVE of the truth.

When God looks at us, does He see real Christians that love and cherish the opportunity to know His truth? Turning to and studying the verses quoted in our weekly Updates, member letters and booklets, as well as listening attentively to our weekly and annual messages in services, may be one good way to show how much we are eager to learn the truth.

Secondly, God has demonstrated immeasurable love for us. He sent His Son to die for us (John 3:16). He offered us, as a gift, eternal life (Romans 6:23); and He prepared an unending future of peace and abundance for us (Matthew 25:34; 1 Corinthians 2:9); all while we were sinners and enemies against Him (Romans 5:8, 10). He called us or picked us out (1 Corinthians 1:26); He washed us off (1 Corinthians 6:11); and He made it possible for us to be in His Family (1 John 3:1-2).

How have we responded?

Does God see an unmistakable love of Him and His ways in us; or does He see us leaning towards a love of the world and its ways? The Bible is clear that we cannot have it BOTH ways (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). We must either grow in the fervent love of God and His ways (Mark 12:30; 1 John 2:5; 2 John 6; Deuteronomy 10:12-13); or we are NOT real Christians (1 John 2:4).

Thirdly, why does the Bible talk so much about love and law? Quite simply, because God IS love (1 John 4:8), and “this IS the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). Love fulfills His law–God’s love in us KEEPS it to the FULLEST (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8). Love is the PURPOSE or AIM of His law (1 Timothy 1:5). When we keep the law in the right way and with the right motives, we show how much we love God. And, as Matthew 22:36-40 explains, all the law and the prophets hang on the two great commandments—to love God and to love our neighbor. Love and the law are inseparable.

But it is not possible to fulfill the first great commandment to love God if we do not fulfill the second commandment to love our neighbor. 1 John 4:20-21 makes this plain: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, HOW CAN HE love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”

What’s more, Christ Himself not only commands us to love our brethren (John 13:35; 1 Peter 1:22) and those who love us (Luke 6:32-33), but to demonstrate HIS gentle, heartfelt and merciful love towards ALL, including those who do not love us in return (Luke 6:27-35). Paul left us a moving example of this in 2 Corinthians 12:15: “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.”

The commandments to love are comprehensive and inescapable. We are commanded to bear with others in love (Ephesians 4:2); to speak the truth to others in love (Ephesians 4:15); and to let ALL that we do to everyone be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Whether it is a love of the truth; a love of God; or a love for others; we are commanded to walk in love as Christ walked (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 5:2). If God’s Spirit lives in us (Romans 8:9) and we really do and grow in these things, we not only can assure our hearts before God (1 John 3:18-19), but we can assure ourselves that we are real Christians.

Are you a “good Christian”? Would you say of yourself that you are a “better Christian” than you were last year? How many of us are—day-in and day-out—living the “best Christian” life we can?

The time for us to engage ourselves in our calling is NOW! What we have already accomplished is written, and as to those things that lie ahead, here is what Jesus cautioned us to do, “‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble’” (Matthew 6:34).

Solomon, who is known for having great wisdom and knowledge, made this very astute recommendation: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going’” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Paul teaches the Christian application of this principle: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:23-25).

We know, and we are convinced that if we do what is right in God’s sight—if we please Him, the rewards are and will continue to be boundless!

In chapters 12 and 13 of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses how God has organized the Church of God. Beyond the offices and gifts that are a part of the church, Paul makes this challenge: “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). That way is summarized in verse 13 of chapter 13: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The Father and Jesus Christ are the greatest in their expression of love. In fact, so complete, so all encompassing and superlative are their ways in this respect, that we have this definition: “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16).

If our Christian lives are to attain the “best,” then let us consider and with heart-felt enthusiasm embrace Paul’s exhortation: “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

Many would agree that we are living in the last days. But how many comprehend the tremendous responsibility which accompanies such understanding?

Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3:1-4: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… unloving, unforgiving, slanderers… brutal… headstrong… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…”

Of course, many might say, this only describes the people in this evil world–it does not address conditions in the Church of God. And they even reason that they are true “Philadelphia” Christians, who have endured and overcome, and who are loved by God and will find protection from the great tribulation (Revelation 3:9-10). They are convinced that the biblical warnings to lukewarm “Laodicea” Christians or the world at large only apply to others.

Many who are claiming to be part of the body of Christ say that “they”–and “only they”–are Philadelphia Christians, perhaps without fully realizing that “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love.” They may feel and even proclaim that it is the other Christians who are the “poor, blind and naked” Laodiceans (Revelation 3:17). Christ warned of such self-deception–especially when we think that we are spiritually “wealthy, and have need of nothing” (same verse). Paul says that “he who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Those who uphold self-righteous positions of glorying in themselves, while despising and condemning others (Luke 18:9), lack what is tantamount to being a true and zealous Christian–brotherly or “Philadelphia” love and, what is even more important, godly love. The Bible calls this godly love “agape” love, which God has poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). We can only have godly love if Christ, through His Spirit, lives in us. Paul challenges us to examine ourselves whether Christ really LIVES in us (2 Corinthians 13:5). If He does, we will love our fellow man; otherwise, we are not even of God (1 John 3:10; compare John 5:42).

As we are living in the last days, we must be very careful that we are not being affected by the ungodly and unloving world around us (1 John 2:15). Christ tells self-righteous and spiritually blind Laodicean Christians to repent of their sins and to become zealous (Revelation 3:19). Otherwise, Christ will vomit them out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). They will cease to be His disciples, because of their lack of godly love (John 13:35).

Could this include you? Examine yourself! Do you love God and your fellow man, or just yourself and worldly pleasures which you want to enjoy? Are you diligent in excelling in technical aspects of God’s law, but neglecting to manifest the love of God in your life (Luke 11:42)? Are you willing to forgive, or are you unforgiving and unloving, quick to slander and to condemn others (Matthew 6:14-15; compare James 4:11-12)?

Could Christ be warning you, when He describes the spiritual condition of His Church in the end time? Notice: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Christ refers here to godly “agape” love. Since only those in whom God’s Spirit dwells have such godly love, Christ is addressing Church members–those who have received God’s Spirit and with it the love of God, but who allow the love of God to GROW cold! And unless they repent or change and become again zealous to renew and use God’s love in them, Christ will vomit them out of His mouth!

We are living in perilous and serious times–and it is high time to awake out of sleep (Romans 13:11). “Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Let us make every effort to use powerfully God’s love in us. “For this IS the love of God that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3)–and with God’s love in us, we are fulfilling His law (Romans 13:10) and do not sin (1 John 3:4). Paul is not giving us this warning for nothing: “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34).

Earlier this year, my wife and I visited our son and his wife in Thailand. We saw our 5th grandchild, Austin, for the first time. He is just 10 months old. This got me to thinking about the ways that families can now be a group of geographically separate and disparate groups that may often be only connected by the family name. Social mobility occasioned by economic factors, job prospects, marrying someone from another country, preferring the climate of another land or simply being disillusioned by current circumstances are often the cause for people moving and for families seeing little of each other. That was not necessarily the case that much half a century ago, when travel was not a highly marketable commodity, nor did families, generally, think of leaving the area in which they were born and brought up.

In his book “Family Britain 1951-1957”, David Kynaston wrote the following: “Sociologist Michael Young conducted research in London’s Bethnal Green. Here he describes a widow in her 60’s living alone save for a dog and a budgie. She is infirm and rarely goes out. A married daughter lives two minutes’ walk away with her five children. One grandson does her shopping, another collects and returns the washing which is done by the married daughter living ten minutes’ walk away. A young grandson often stays a night. The grandchildren fetch her papers, chop her firewood and take the dog out. Her second daughter collects her pension and her mother spends every Sunday at her home. A son with a market stall brings vegetables every morning and give her ten shillings a week. He lives five minutes walk away with his wife and child. A second son lives in Norwich and that is where the widow spends a fortnight’s (two weeks) holiday every summer. Fifteen relatives are seen at least once a week, several every day.”

It can often be deceptive to just look at everything from yesteryear through rose coloured glasses, but there is no doubt that there was much more genuine social cohesion and care for one another in families, and society, that seems to be missing in so many lives today.

But we have to accept that moving within one’s own country, or abroad, may be a necessity in many cases, as jobs become scarcer, prospects limited and financial pressures build up. But that can impact on the support that families can give to each other at critical times and on an ongoing basis. And, of course, those who have been and are involved in the Work of God have, in many cases, moved a number of times to different parts of the world to carry out those responsibilities that God has given them. The New Testament gives a clear indication that the early apostles were “socially mobile” as was Jesus Himself. But it is incumbent on us, as “ambassadors for Christ” to do the best we can for our families irrespective of our geographical situation. Of course, the other extreme may be that family members can be “smothered” by them not being left to get on with their own lives and make their own decisions (always with input from family members if required). As usual, balance is the key.

When we look at the meltdown in morals, behaviour and the acceptance of “alternative life styles,” this should clearly show us why our society is in such a mess. And all of this has been fostered by a liberal elite with an agenda to shape society in a different way and undermine much of the good that went before it. This has been ably aided and abetted by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) who is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2).

According to the perceived wisdom of our rulers regarding the definition of a family, it seems that any combination of people will do. One leading politician in the UK stated over a year ago that he believed in marriage. But then he added – marriage between a man and a woman, a man and a man and a woman and a woman! The old “nuclear family” of a husband and wife and two children is no longer the best game in town. Without going through a great catalogue of what now constitutes a family in the eyes of those in power, suffice to say that any grouping today seems to fit the bill.

God’s definition is simple and clearly defined: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). And then they were told to have children, to be “fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28).

In the soon coming Kingdom, the ways of God will be practiced. And families–properly constituted Godly families–will once again be the bedrock of society. That will be a time when the disintegration of the family will be left well behind and society will benefit enormously when God imposes His rules which will be, as always, for the benefit of all of mankind.

In counseling for baptism, we were admonished to “count the cost” before accepting the responsibility of receiving God’s Holy Spirit. We were to do an accounting of what we were getting ourselves into, before we took on the lifelong commitment and all it entailed.

In Luke 14:28-30 we read, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish…”

Now that we have taken on this responsibility, how is our tower proceeding? By now we should have laid a foundation of the elementary doctrines of God (compare Hebrews 6:1-2) and built upon the Rock that cannot be shaken (compare Luke 6:48). That having been done, we are to be
working on our tower.

When constructing our building, are we using good quality materials? We need to have Christ as our Cornerstone–the One that will last (compare Matthew 21:42). Is our craftsmanship all that it should be? Is the tower crooked or are there gaps in it? Or is it fitted together appropriately (compare Ephesians 2:21)?

If we use the blueprint we have been given, we can be God’s building (compare 1 Corinthians 3:9)–one that will endure to the end (compare Matthew 24:13); one that will mold and shape us (compare Matthew 21:44); and one that will allow us to house the Holy Spirit, for which we initially counted the cost (compare 1 Corinthians 3:16).

When I was growing up and going through some trials or difficult times, my mother used to have the following saying in French: “Il faut endurez sur la terre.”  Translated into English, it means: “You have to endure on this earth.” She understood that life wasn’t always a cake walk and that even as a youth at home, there were tough times that one had to endure, without caving in and giving up. 

Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul conveyed this same understanding in his admonition to Timothy. He wrote in 2 Timothy 4:5-8:

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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.”

Christ expressed the same sentiment in Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

It is one thing to be called, but quite another to respond in a positive way to God’s calling. If one throws in the towel along the way, either because of trials or persecution, then there is no reward in the end. That is why it is so important to set our mind on the completion of our calling by enduring to the end–the end of our physical life or the return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first.

As we are living in the end time, trials and persecution will increase even to the point that the love of many will wax cold (Matthew 24:12). This warning is addressed to Church members, not just to people in the world. It may be carnal people who will persecute God’s elect, but Christ said that the love of God will wax cold among the people of God. And unbelievably, perhaps, it will be God’s people who will persecute and betray and even HATE one another (compare Matthew 24:10). And why? Matthew 24:12 tells us, why: “And because LAWLESSNESS will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Lawlessness or transgression is the same as sin. Sin is defined as the transgression of the law, or lawlessness (1 John 3:4). It is the love of many that will grow cold because of lawlessness or sin. This refers to many IN THE CHURCH OF GOD. Sin among true converted Christians will abound or increase, because they will not heed Christ’s warning to endure and remain faithful.

Let us take very seriously Christ’s admonition in Revelation 3:11: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

Notice,  we are to hold fast, that is to endure, so that we do not lose our crown–God’s gift of eternal life and rulership in His Kingdom. Christ added in Luke 9:62: “‘…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'”

Once we have put our hand to the plow; that is, once we have begun to respond to our calling and commit to God’s way of life, we cannot look back to what we have left behind; we must not have regrets and give in to desires to go back into the world from where we came; otherwise, Christ will have no pleasure in us.

On the other hand, if we faithfully continue in our calling–through thick and thin–and endure to the end as profitable and diligent servants in God’s Work, then we can look forward to an incredible future. It includes living forever as spirit beings and members in the very Family of God–and to rule under Christ on this earth. Isn’t this something for which we should gladly endure?

Simple things that we all have and seem to need are often times taken for granted. One such example is electricity. Most just do not understand what it is. What do we really know about it? We simply turn on the light switch or start any appliance or push a button, and something works. When we wake up in the morning, we may wash ourselves with warm water; go into the kitchen and cook breakfast in a stove; and for those who are environmentalists, unplug our car or perhaps charge it up before we head out. 

It is only when there is no electric power available, that we start to consider the importance of it. Without electricity, we would still be burning wood and coal to heat our homes and businesses, and we would still be using oil and candles to light our way in the dark. That is the way it was for many centuries, before electricity was discovered and used. Only since the invention of the electric generator have humans been able to advance in every aspect of modern life. In fact, modern living is defined by electric power.

We might consider Benjamin Franklin. He was a great American inventor and innovator. His electrical experiments formed the basis for other inventions that we still use today, such as batteries, incandescent light bulb, electromagnetic fields, generators and transformers. His experiments became the origin of our  “plus” and “minus” nomenclature. The positive and the negative charges helped identify the atmospheric and static electricity.

In a few weeks, the Church of God will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. It reminds us of the day when God poured out of His Holy Spirit on the New Testament disciples (compare Acts 2:18, 33, 38-41; 1 John 4:13). When we receive God’s Holy Spirit of power (Acts 1:8), something happens to us spiritually. When used properly, it will change our lives for the better. It is an incredible gift from God. It is not to be taken for granted.  

In an analogous way, the Holy Spirit, as the manifestation of God’s power, can be compared with the flow of electric power. Electricity flows through conductive wires from its source to the devices using it. Only as long as the flow of the electric current from its source is uninterrupted, have those devices use of its power. So it is essential that there is constant contact with the electric power source.

The same is true of God’s Spirit. We do not have the capacity to permanently store the power of the Holy Spirit for use when we don’t feel like serving God. If we discontinue our relationship with God, we cut ourselves off from the Source of the power working in us. 2 Corinthians 4:16 tells us that our “inward man” needs to be “renewed day by day.” God’s Holy Spirit within us must flow from us toward others–that is, others must be able to recognize the effects of God’s Spirit within us. And since God’s Spirit is to flow through us and out of us toward others, it must be renewed on a regular basis (through regular prayer), so that we can be constantly filled with it (Psalm 51:10-11; Philippians 1:19; Ephesians 5:18; compare 2 Corinthians 4:16). Rather than quenching the Holy Spirit within us (1 Thessalonians 5:19), we must be led by and follow the lead of the Spirit (Romans 8:14; Luke 4:1).

When a battery is fully charged, it works at its full potential, but eventually it will need to be recharged before it loses its power. As true Christians, we need to be renewed by God’s Holy Spirit. We need a constant spiritual recharge. When we start to become weak, we need a boost; otherwise, we will slip away and lose all power. We must not let that happen to us, but we must be reenergized on a daily basis.

We know what Jude so passionately urged those of his day to do: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (verse 3).

Paul wrote to Timothy, a younger minister under his guidance, and he, too, warned of destructive variances in beliefs that would arise within the Church of God:

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Those who contend for the faith must “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21; compare, also, 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Timothy 1:13). This kind of verification is exemplified by the Bereans, who “…were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

So far, so good.

However, there is another approach that arises, and that is one of being contentious. We are told to not engage in these kinds of controversies:

“But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned” (Titus 3:9-11).

Furthermore, we are instructed: “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Timothy 2:23). Paul identifies people who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

Why–what is the basis for such a contentious approach to the Truth of God?

Very simply, it is the approach of an unconverted, ungovernable mind. It is the attitude and practice that caused the children of Israel to stumble time and again during the period of the judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25; compare, also, Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6; Proverbs 14:12).

We each must examine ourselves in these matters. Are we zealously striving to not only keep but to grow in the faith? Or have we become far too self-satisfied thinking that we know best and that we don’t need personal guidance in our calling? The answer will reveal whether we are contending or whether we are contentious!

You might think this is a somewhat silly question. Me–important? Especially during times of personal trials and disappointment, frustration and feelings of failure and despair, you might perhaps conclude it would have been better for you and everyone around you if you had never been born–like James Stewart’s desperate character felt temporarily in his famous movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

However, you would be wrong! God created you for a purpose. And who is to count the many people you are influencing in your life–for good or for worse?

During my wife’s and my vacation in Yugoslavia during the first year of our marriage, we saved a young girl from drowning. We have never heard of her again, but sometimes wonder what happened to her. Did she marry and have children? What became of her children?

So many events and occurrences in our personal lives are interconnected. My father (who died several years ago at the age of 95) told me that he stared death in the face at least twice, when fighting at the Russian front during World War II. He was convinced that somehow, his life was spared in a way which cannot be explained naturally. I am very thankful that it was, because otherwise, he would not have married; would not have had children; and his son–yours truly–would not have come into existence; would not have married; would not have children; and our grown-up married daughter would not give birth to her first child in a very few days from now.

Do we see how our lives are important for the lives of others? And that is not only true in the most obvious sense!

Our way of living influences and affects others. King David said that he had never seen the children of a righteous person begging for bread. His son, King Solomon, explained that the children of a righteous person would have a sure place of safety. God said in the Ten Commandments that He would extend His mercy with a righteous person for a “thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9). This is, at least in part, the case because a truly converted person will train his children in the way they should go, and his influence will be for their good. God said about Abraham that he would teach his children to obey God.

Sadly, the reverse is also true. In the same context of the Ten Commandments, God said that the iniquity of the fathers would be visited upon their children “to the third and fourth generation of those who hate” Him (Exodus 20:5). This shows us how lengthy and involved our negative influence can be on our descendants. This is even true for righteous parents, when they slip up. Abraham lied about his wife Sarah, saying that she was his sister, and his son Isaac would later repeat the same lie about his wife Rebekah.

But if God calls you today to understand and live His truth, then you are also very important in God’s eyes for additional reasons. God predestined you before the foundation of the earth to choose you in this day and age for salvation. Out of all the billions of people alive today, He foreknew and called you, requiring of you to answer His call and to stay faithful until the end of your life.

Some have been trying to run away from their calling. They may think that it is really not that important. Jonah tried to “flee from the presence of the LORD,” unwilling to fulfill His mission; Jeremiah attempted to refuse to do God’s Will for him, claiming he was too young; Moses was at first unwilling to obey God, alleging he was not a good speaker. Amos might have felt he was not qualified, seeing that he was “just” a sheepbreeder. But in every case, God showed them otherwise, and they came to understand the importance of their calling.

God tells you never to give up; never to surrender; never to throw in the towel; never to look back. Your calling today is far too important. And with your calling comes responsibility. You can either hasten or delay the very return of Jesus Christ. Yes, you! That’s how important you are in the eyes of God. Peter says in regard to Christ’s promise of His Second Coming: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us [or “you,” according to the NIV and the RSV], not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Realize the importance of your way of living: Your refusal to repent at this time could delay the return of Christ! Think about that one. Do you feel as important about yourself as God does? At the same time, we can accelerate Christ’s coming. In the same context, Peter says: “… what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord…” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

God’s patience is not limitless. There will come a time when a tree which does not bear fruit, will be cut down and thrown into the fire, and when there “should be delay no longer” (Revelation 10:6). In the meantime, view yourself as an important future member of the Family of God, and realize that your life is not the product of “random chance.” God gave you your life for a reason! Never think that you don’t count, or that it is immaterial how you live. The potential fate of millions of people may be in your hands.