The marks of a true Christian - what does that mean? Romans 12:9-21.

Many of the translations entitle Romans 12:9-21,

The Marks of a True Christian.

I find myself saying, with some frequency, look at their fruit. Unlike Ash Wednesday, which we just went through, we are not looking for marks on someone that might indicate whether or not they are a Christ-follower, although we could be if we lived in a region where brutalizing Christ-followers is a common practice. So, then, the reality of an opening statement like this, is that we are looking for evidence that is demonstrated in the way they act.

Actions take in a wide variety of manners and methods, and this idea is played out in Matthew 25:31-46, where we read about the sheep and goat judgment. In Matthew’s gospel, the dead of all the nations is called before the throne of judgment. God, who is represented by Jesus - the shepherd, separates the crowd into two groups. To those He calls sheep, He says, welcome into the kingdom. The “sheep,” almost as if in unison, say, what did we do to deserve entrance into the kingdom of God. To which Jesus replies, you gave me a drink of water, fed me, and visited me in prison. This allowance into the kingdom should stun us, as the fruit is NOT what we recognize, or expect to see when we are looking for fruit. Well, there it is, the word fruit, and I associated it with these marks that the translators tell us we should be able to see.

If we think we must be fruit inspectors, we have a problem, for when we are focusing on other people’s fruit, which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, then who is tending to my fruit trees.

Before I dive into Romans, I want to point out the peculiarity of the terminology “Marks.” If you have been a follower of Christ for any length of time, then you should be familiar with the idea that the Holy Spirit seals us.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13 NASB)

And, in Revelation chapter seven, we see the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are sealed in their foreheads.
Revelation 7:3 NASB saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

A friend asked me, what does that seal/mark look like, and can we see it?
Great question, but I don't have a good answer, as you can't see the “seal/mark” of the Holy Spirit on or in the life of a believer unless you look at any fruit they might be producing.

Evidence of a particular kind of fruit came out several years ago when Dr. Hugh Ross was speaking to our men’s group about a book he had written, entitled “Why the Universe is the way it is.” He talked about how science validates the Bible, the age of the earth, and, he referred, many times, to the Book of Revelation, a subject which he had been teaching in his church for several years. Several men in the group were polite enough to hold their tongues until after the talk, and then those men began, in small circles, to dispute what the intelligent Doctor was saying. For me, the Holy Spirit repeatedly confirmed the words of Doctor Ross that morning, as He reminded of things that my heart had already seen in scripture.

John 14:26 NASB "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

What kind of fruit were these naysayers demonstrating; men who wholeheartedly, profess to be followers of Christ?

Let's dive in, starting with Romans 12:9.
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9 NASB)

• “Let love be without hypocrisy.”

Webster's Dictionary defines hypocrisy as a feigning to be what one is not, or dissimulation, a concealment of one's real character or motives. More generally, hypocrisy a simulation or the assuming of a false appearance of virtue or religion.

Doesn't this give you the impression that these hypocrites are not a part of the church body?
The tricky part of this is that this impression stuff is the devil’s playground, as it prompts us to migrate into judgment, and that is not our job.

What are we, as the church, supposed to do about it?
Do not try to pick their fruit. Paul gives us some sound advice, stay away from things that are not right.

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." Now in a large house, there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:19-21 NASB)

Note how the NASB uses the term wickedness. Just the mention of the word evokes images of horrific acts. Look that word “wickedness” up, and you can find, according to the Word Study Dictionary, that a sufficient and simplistic understanding is “what ought not to be.” That sounds like something my granddad used to say. He applied that farm mentality to me on more than one occasion, but notably when I tested out the cigarette lighter in his car and got burned. When applied to people within the church body, you know, the ones you thought had more sense than that. It is very challenging to understand who the wicked are because many give off an air of knowledge and the arrogance that goes along with such learning.

Let's say, for fun sake, that we get to be weed pullers, and have the insight to get these wicked weeds out of our "church" bodies; what do we have that guides us?
We have a parable entitled, The parable of the Weeds.

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. "But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. "The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' The slaves *said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?' "But he *said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" (Matthew 13:24-30 NASB)

An obvious outcome of Matthew 13's events, is that God, who knows those who are His, will appropriately gather the wheat. The judgmental, take great pride in their belief that God will burn up those who are deemed the tares. 

Tares is the Greek word zizanion and means “something that resembles wheat.” In other words, something that looks similar.

The statement, they will be burned up, has associations with hell’s fire. But, we have another point of view, that may make more sense, especially when we are talking about the church, and members of the body that have bizarre interpretations in doctrines. (Many, think that those who talk about end-times events are bizarre.)

"For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NASB)

Here, in 1 Corinthians, it is the person's work that will be burned, but the individual will be saved.

Does this mean that everyone will be saved?
Certainly not, for not everyone is a part of the church body.

The term work, which we see in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, is not necessarily associated with a job. The Greek word for work is ergonand also means an effort or an act. 
So, if you think that what you are advocating is your assignment from God, you could be wrong. Not to worry, as only your vain efforts will burn, and you won't.

• “Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”

The word Abhor is the Greek word apostugeō and means to detest utterly.

That certainly sounds like a complete separation, if you can do it. Another point of view that Paul gives us, comes from 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NASB, But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

If we were to examine everything more closely, then perhaps there would be fewer of us caught by the snare of the devil.

Romans 12:10 NASB "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;"

• “ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;”

Eugene Peterson's “The Message,” tells us, “Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.” The band Mercy Me, sang a song in which it says, “the last thing I need, is to be heard.” A person could take this one of several ways, and to be honest the context if I recall correctly, had more to do with our crying out to God. I applied the phrase to my own life, at times when someone with an aggressive style dominates the conversation. You see, God is quite capable of making Himself heard, so I don't have to worry about some Word from God, that I think the crowd, no matter the size, needs to hear.

• “give preference to one another in honor;”

Preference is the Greek word proēgeomai and means to lead the way for others. It also means to prefer.
If I am leading the way for others, then perhaps I can see this as giving them the chance to grow, just as I need to grow.

Paul also used the word honor. Honor is the Greek word timē, pronounced tee-may', and means to give value or esteem.

Romans 12:11 NASB "not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;"
Another way to put this can be seen in the NLT.
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. (Romans 12:11 NLT)
Eugene Peterson takes it another direction when he says,
"Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master," (Romans 12:11 MSG)

Romans 12:12-13 is drenched in our serving of others, but it is not what most think.
rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, (13) contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (NASB)
Peterson conveys the idea of being cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. (Romans 12:12 MSG)

Romans 12:14 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (NASB)
Again I turn to Peterson's Message, where it says, “Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath.”

Romans 12:15. Most translations say something very similar.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (NASB)
The Message has another take on this. “Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down.

Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation." (NASB)

The Easy to Read Version says, Live together in peace with each other. Don't be proud but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don't think of yourself as smarter than everyone else. It almost feels like we are under the law once again. Oh yeah, those laws we thought we were free from, are written upon our hearts, and they sound much like Romans chapter12, verses 9-21.

Romans 12:17 "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men." (NASB)
The CEV restates verse 17 rather plainly. “Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others,”

Romans 12:18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (NASB)

Almost every translation conveys the statement, “if possible.” Well, what if I decide it is NOT possible; that seems like the least likely candidate is making the decisions. The ERV restates it plainly, “Do the best you can to live in peace with everyone.” Now, that sounds more like a directive, but with the understanding that we live in reality, and not everyone is friendly.

Romans 12:19-20 NASB "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. (20) "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."

The ERV says, “don't try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: "I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back," says the Lord.” The idea of heaping coals on someone's head plays mind games with me, and so I try to avoid the thought, but the idea behind it is much like God's dream for turning Israel toward Him through jealousy.

And finally,
Romans 12:21 MSG  Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

When we allow the enemy, free space in our heads, he has won that skirmish, and that can't happen unless we let him.

For the sake of argument. Zephaniah 1: 2-6, Part 2.

Since we covered verse one in the introduction to Zephaniah, we will only touch on it lightly. That word lightly makes me laugh because I rarely do anything lightly.

Zephaniah 1:1 NET. This is the prophetic message that the LORD gave to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah, son of Amon of Judah:

If you read my introduction to Zephaniah, then you would know that I wanted to find out what might have been Zephaniah's motivation to speak such a strong word. I realize many will not understand my simple idea of motivation, as “God,” we assume, speaks to us, telling us to jump, and we simply say, how high. It doesn't work like that. For me, it was a major trust issue as the Holy Spirit was kind enough to give me something like “and the” for a starter. I had to trust Him to fill my mouth, and He always did. As I sit in groups, it is rare to find people who recognize that God/the Holy Spirit can and does speak to us. On this thought line, I was recently reminded that Proverbs tells us of God's attempts at talking with us more than any other book.

Proverbs 1:20-21 NET. Wisdom calls out in the street, she shouts loudly in the plazas; 21) at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:

If Proverbs 1:20 is an example of the Holy Spirit speaking, then you can see that He is not merely talking, He is calling out with a loud voice. With the understanding that God is Wisdom, then you should be able to grasp that He is calling out to you all the time.

For the sake of argument let's assume that you don't or can't believe that God will speak to you. If that is your understanding, then you would never discern that the twisted path God has taken you on was meant to build the character and personality in you that you now have (even if you look and like a biker.) The truth is, God has never let you out of His hand and has directed every move you made; even the painful ones. Why did those things have to happen to you? Because God needed the person, you became to reach that one person who will only listen to you.

I don't know if you realize what is going on here as I write, but I am also talking to myself; a man who struggles with several damaged aspects of my life (those aspects are primarily emotional, but the damage is real and often impedes my progress.) In other words, I like many of you, am a walking miracle.

In my earlier post, I emphasized the impact of the evil King, Manasseh's reign.

The assumption would be logical and practical to consider him, as he played the greatest role in Zephaniah's life, and strove to create an environment that was not so dissimilar to the Nazi regime's goals of eradication. Manasseh's regime, in many ways, matches the current apostate condition of the world we now live in; a world where the name of the Lord is on the verge of being outlawed. Here in my state, California's state assembly has moved to pass an Assembly bill 2943. This bill will make the Bible illegal literature because the words and message in the Bible have always stood against homosexuality. The reality is that there are many words in this book we call a Bible that anger people, many of which are religious. The Bible irritates because it stands in opposition to our selfish desires.

As a side note. I feel no compulsion to use my Bible as a harsh motivation against sin, as it speaks against sin on its own. My motivation for teaching is meant to get you excited about the life and potential that are found in the Bible, and then let that control you.

One commentary stated, all we know about Zephaniah is told to us in verse one. 

Chapter one verse one tells us that, “Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah.” Now, how do you argue with that? You don't, but it makes sense to take in the whole picture, and Josiah obviously plays a role in that picture. An assumption I could make here is that Manasseh created a passion for justice, while Josiah gives Zephaniah the freedom to speak about it.

Since Josiah is set before us, then we need to learn about Josiah.

2 Kings 22:1 NET. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.

Seriously? How useful or self-directed would an eight-year-old child be?

The reality is that someone that who held Jehovah in high respect, regardless of Manasseh's oppression, was helping to direct Josiah's actions and words. Now, I would expect Josiah, if he had a heart for it, to be a follower of the law and God's way, and that is what we see. We also know that he reigned for thirty-one years, well into adulthood. This information does not tell me what Josiah did that demonstrated a life of dedication to the Lord, but verse two does.

2 Kings 22:2 NET. He did what the LORD approved and followed in his ancestor David's footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.

Having listened to Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of the Calvary Chapels', talk about Josiah, you would think this young man would put King David to shame. Put this information in context, as we are all human and this idea of hearing God would have been a struggle, even for a king, especially for a young king. Therefore, again, it is safe to assume that sane people, led by God, were able to assert great and unselfish wisdom into the life of the young king.

Since the passage has compared him to King David, then you should be able to appreciate that David was a man after God's own heart. A reality check: David had all the human faults a man could stand, so what is it that qualified David for this title? Solomon's interactions with God gives us a clue.

1 Kings 11:4 NET. When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.

In spite of his flaws and failures, David was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. A look at the word devoted reveals this:

šālēm: An adjective meaning full, complete, safe, whole, peaceful. This adjective has several uses when it suggests complete, safe, unharmed, natural.

So David felt safe, whole, peaceful and natural. Take that in for a moment. Do you have anyone in your life that produces those feelings in you? I don't. A few come close, like my wife, but then there are those moments when you are ready to leave even the sanest people behind. The most important thing, even if it was only the overlapping of Zephaniah's life by eight years, is that Josiah followed the Lord.

One could hope that the impact brought through Josiah's rule and life, would exceed and outlast any of the damage and horrors Manasseh's reign brought. We all know that was not the case as the damage lingers on for years. I point this out because even though I have seen the goodness of God in my life, I still carry much of the hurt and damage that life has dished out. I continually have to do self-checks, as I wonder if the voice I heard in my spirit was not something inspired by the negativity and abuse I was subjected to; and, when I speak about the trials and tribulations we endure, I freely admit the realization that there are issues I will struggle with my entire life here on earth. Some people cannot hear these words and understand for they have never experienced such pains.

Can I be sure Zephaniah understood the damage Manasseh caused?

No, but since problems and abuse are common to all of us, then there is a good chance Zephaniah would understand this conversation.

Moving on; the caption precedes verse two, but may not accurately convey all that is happening here.

The Coming Judgment on Judah.

Zephaniah 1:2-6 NASB "I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 3) "I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth," declares the LORD. 4) "So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. 5) "And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, And those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom¹, 6) And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."

Without going into details, the general theme I get here is an angry God cleaning house.

If I base my understanding on the caption, Judah is the Southern Kingdom, and Israel is the Northern Kingdom. In the long run was one Kingdom better than the other? Absolutely not, and even if they became unified under the name Israel, they all went into captivity. During the days of Josiah, it was a divided kingdom. To give you some perspective, while Godly men are presumed to have reigned over Judah, Kings like Ahab and his hell-bent, murderous wife, reigned over Israel, but not at the same time. In reality, no one was safe and most simply forgot about Jehovah.

What does this judgment entail? The removal of all things from the earth.

• Man and beast;
• the birds of the sky;
• the fish of the sea;
• the ruins along with the wicked;

Ah, here comes the big clue.

• “So I will stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Now, if I wanted to play with words, then I could put forth the premise that He did not include Israel, but you know that did not happen.

Why does God feel this way?

• Because His people are worshiping Baal;
  And, I can assume that all of Israel, in some way, is still worshiping Baal.
• Because there are idolatrous priests along with the priests.
  The conveyance that there are some who are not so idolatrous does not excuse their complicity.
• Verse 5 in the Amplified translation tells us: “And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who [pretend to] worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to [the heathen god Molech or] Malcam [their idol king],”
  Stephen, in the seventh chapter of Acts, declared how God's people brought Molech out of Egypt with them. What Stephen said was a very intense history lesson, which NO ONE disputed.
• And, they have turned their backs from following the Lord.
  I find this theme in the Revelation; Daniel, and others.

Were these conditions exclusive to Judah? Not a chance and any of the books that speak of end times events will prove that out.

Zephaniah 1: 2-6 covers one more group of people; and, I just about guarantee that this one will make you mad.

• And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.

While it may have been easier to see this as strictly a Jewish problem, this last sentence expanded it to include us church folk. Let me give you an example to chew on. I recently learned that a pastor committed suicide. Many would think, why, as pastor's should be the ones that have it all together. At least that is the impression you get, as the pastor says to you, as he did me, I can't believe that you, being a Christian for over 40 years, would think or feel that way. One of the men I sit with asked me what I think of a pastor who kills himself. It only took a second for a response to come into my spirit. Having dealt with depression and anxiety it is typically a problematic event that has accumulated over time and has not been adequately dealt with. Events that cause this kind of damage often come from childhood, but they can also build up from work and relational situations. This particular pastor's wife said "I am thankful that he is now in heaven." This statement too became a part of the discussion as there are doubts in the minds of many religious persons that a person who commits suicide is not entitled to heaven.

My answer - and I explained that I have learned to err on the side of mercy, was this.

• • The pastor was not in his right mind and therefore not thinking clearly.
    Do we judge the impaired when they may not have the capacity to think rationally? One of the brothers argued against that. That same brother in Christ, will, however, argue for Judas to receive mercy. You can't have it both ways.
  • If you are going to play the judgment card, then you can exclude yourself from any mercy.
    Why say that? Because Jesus went to the cross as the last sacrifice for sin, for the entire world. Paul told us that there is NO MORE sacrifice for sin, therefore we need to accept the fact that sin and price for it was done away with. So, if you must stand before God to be judged, then it would only be for what did or did not do with Jesus. That is it.
    
    

When you begin to have this discussion, there is always a zealot who will play the scriptural card, and it goes like this:

1 John 1:7-10 NASB but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8) If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

This passage is real and true. If I look at sin from its old English origins, then I know that sin is merely missing the mark. I do that all the time; not in big ways, but having set some goals for my life, I know I have not achieved them yet. I do, however, talk about my shortcomings with several friends I meet with. In my mind, I am confessing my sins. God, on-the-other-hand, reminds me that my sin was cast as far as the East is from the West, an unreachable destination.

I have sat with some of those who “have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.” I know this because they feel they have the right to hold people in judgment. If you sought the Lord and knew his nature and character, you would never do that.

1 John 4:8 NASB The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Notes:

1The Amplified Bible identifies this Milcom as Molech. Molech was the half man, half calf god that the people had Aaron recreate for them to worship. Molech was half man, half calf upon which they roasted their children as an offering.