“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16).

There are two things in this passage on suffering that reveal facts about a Christian.  First, he is not to be ashamed in suffering for righteousness.”  Second, he is to glorify God in the suffering.  Peter along with John did exactly that, as it is written, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).  A Christian is as unique a person in the world as light is to darkness (cf. Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15).  Consider three of many traits about a Christian that must be manifested.

1. Truth Loving. Jesus stated of those who would come to the light, “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21).  It is by the “word of truth” (James 1:18) that anyone becomes a Christian (cf. James 2:17).  One purifies his soul “in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22).  Salvation is directly connected to the truth as those who will perish are characterized by the words, “they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10).  The church is clearly described as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).  Truth is a trademark of God’s people and must never be compromised.
2. Tenderhearted. A second quality of a Christian is a tenderhearted disposition.  While the Christian does not love sin, he does love people and sympathizes with the struggles of man with sin.  One is to speak the truth “in love” (Eph. 4:15) flowing from a heart that heeds the words “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).  Peter wrote, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Peter 2:8).  Those who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ are to have the same mind as the Lord.  As was Christ, being the great example, so are Christians to be.
3. “Thick-skinned.” Peter also wrote, “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).  Nothing about the Christian life is promised to be an easy path (cf. Matt. 7:14; 2 Tim. 3:12).  Christians are to develop a temperament that does not give in to the pressure to quit or retaliate.  Forbearing and forgiving are two qualities that are to be developed as the Lord was forbearing and forgiving to all.  Sometimes one just has to take it.  Here is true strength that even the world notices.  While it is indeed true that “the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41), the inner man is responsible to control the outer.  The longevity of relationships is tied to not letting the “little annoyances” destroy what is truly important.  The “good ground” (Matt. 13:8) is not characterized like the soil “when the sun was up, they were scorched: and because they had no root, they withered away” (Matt. 13:6).  Longsuffering and patience are continually mentioned in the New Testament as spiritual qualities of the Christian (cf. Eph. 4:2; Col. 1:11; 3:12; 1 Cor. 13:4; James 1:3-4).  Qualities that God commands Christians to have are not just possibilities but musts to apply.

Jimmy Clark

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).

There are many ways that men have tried in dealing with sin.  One way that some use to seek to justify their shortcomings is through excuses.  Adam did this in the garden (cf. Gen. 3:12) as well as the woman (cf. Gen. 3:13).  Aaron blamed the people for the making of the golden calf (cf. Ex. 32:21-25) as did king Saul (cf. 1 Sam. 15:20-21) in his not obeying the Lord.  Excuses are found throughout the Bible as examples of what not to do when sin is exposed.  Consider some examples in the Bible where confession without excuses and forsaking brought mercy from God.

1. The Proclamation of Judah. Moses recorded the incident where Judah brought forth children through his daughter-in-law Tamar in Genesis 38.  It is through one of these children that the Christ would come (cf. Matt. 1:3).  When Judah did not fulfill his promise to Tamar in the giving of his son Shelah to her for a husband, she dressed in the clothes of a harlot and sat by the wayside where Judah would travel by.  Judah saw her and being motivated by the flesh contracted to give her certain things for his being with her.  She deceived him in the act and conceived twins with Judah in the process.  When it was told Judah that Tamar had “played the harlot” (Gen. 38:24) and was with child, Judah set forth the decree to have her burned (cf. Gen. 38:24).  When she revealed by the tokens of the man by whom she was with child that it was Judah himself that was at fault, the text states, “And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more” (Gen. 38:26).  No excuses were made and no further sin with her was done.  Such is a keen example of confessing and forsaking.
2. The Penitence of David. David’s attempt to cover his transgression in the death of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, and then the taking of Uriah’s widow to himself for a wife after she was already with David’s child (cf. 2 Sam. 11) brought a sermon by the prophet Nathan to David.  When David’s sin was exposed (cf. 2 Sam. 12:1-12), the text then states, “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Sam. 12: 13).  David wrote Psalm 32 against the background of this scene.  He stated in the psalm, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin” (Ps. 32:5).  Here again is a great example of confessing and forsaking without excuses.
3. The Prodigal’s Confession. Jesus gave a parable about a young son who wasted his inheritance in a far country.  When he was at the lowest point of his life in dire need, “he came to himself” (Luke 15:17).  He arose and went home to his Father and said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son” (Luke 15:21).  The father went immediately into action to rejoice with the restoration and reconciliation of the son (cf. Luke 15:22-24).  No excuses were made.  This is what the Lord is seeking in a poor and contrite spirit (cf. Isa. 66:2).

Jimmy Clark

“And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:11-12).

The paragraph that begins at verse ten and ends at verse seventeen of Luke chapter thirteen gives a detail of Jesus healing an infirmed woman.  The beloved physician (cf. Col. 4:14) Luke wrote by inspiration concerning this healing and is the only one to record it.  Jesus, the greatest healer of all, came into the world to show the kindness of God in every way.  Matthew states of one of the aspects of the life of Christ, “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:16-17).  It is a common thing to see in church bulletins long lists of people who are sick and infirm.  Consider three lessons to be learned from this account of Jesus seeing and tending to the needs of this woman.

1. Seizing the Opportunity. While the healing took place on the sabbath day, such did not stop Jesus from doing good.  It was a common practice to see Jesus doing good (cf. Acts 10:38).  There is never a bad time to do good.  When the criticism came about the healing being done on the sabbath, Jesus quickly pointed out, “doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox and his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?” (Luke 13:15).  The hypocrisy and inconsistency of the critics was brought to silence and shame (cf. Luke 13:17).  Those who will be in heaven serve without reservation, as Jesus said, “I was sick, and ye visited me” (Matt. 25:36) and “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40).  Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians comes to mind, where he wrote, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
2. Showing the Glory of God. Luke gave the detail, “And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Luke 13:13).  Again, he wrote, “And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him” (Luke 13:17).  When one sees healing from sickness, one should give thanks and credit to God.  It is written in the Psalms, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Ps. 103:2-3).
3. Satan as the Originator of Suffering. Jesus laid the blame for sickness and infirmity where the cause lies.  He plainly stated, “whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years” (Luke 13:16).  Who brought the great sickness upon Job? (cf. Job 2:7).  Too many see their physical suffering as brought by God.  Satan brought sin and with it the infirmities and the ultimate end of human life: death.  The last day will bring the end of all suffering and death (cf. 1 Cor. 15:24-28).  Therefore, “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).                                                                                           

Jimmy Clark