james polits

I just read a great blog post about the monotony of life. This guy is a pastor in Tennesse. Check it out: http://withoutwax.tv/2009/01/30/celebrating-monotony/

I really struggle with the Book of James. I used to love it, but there are parts that I have a hard time really understanding and reconciling with other parts of scripture. In this specific section, it speaks about acting and living according to the law.

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom…”
James 2:12

This is just hard for me to grasp. As I understand it, Jesus came to fulfill the law. Which means bringing completion to it. However, we aren’t bound by the law, which Paul talks about. The other aspect of it is that the law is a guideline for us in how to live in a way that honors God.

I think the thing that I have a hard time with now that I have talked it out a little is that it feels too emphasized by James. Yet, it is important to emphasize that for Christians. We need to remember that our faith requires actions to go with it. And a list of the sort of actions really helps.

It’s funny how God speaks at times. This morning I was spending some time reading the Bible and feeling really distracted.First, Gracie (my dog) decided that she had to be in the same room as me. I don’t know why she didn’t want to be out with Rachelle, but she didn’t. So, it took me at least ten minutes of telling her “No!” and creating barriers to protect me feet from her ever-licking tongue before I could start focusing and reading.

The whole time I was reading, I couldn’t focus and was getting frustrated. I wasn’t “getting” anything out of the chapter. As I finished, I sat for a minute wondering why I wasn’t able to learn something or find something to apply to my life. I was looking at Gracie, who had curled up in my lap and was sleeping, when I noticed a song by Rita Springer playing in the background. The song talked about resting in God’s presence. At the moment, something just clicked.

Gracie loves to snuggle and just sit with us. She doesn’t do it to get a treat or to get her back scratched. She just wants to be with us. And she’s perfectly content doing that. I think we ought to view our relationship with God a little more like that. Every time we read the Bible or pray, we shouldn’t be just digging for what we get out of it. We should be happy and content just being with the Lord. Like any healthy friendship or relationship, it’s not about receiving, but being together and sharing life together.

However, when we are simply in the Lord’s presence, we are changed; our lives are made better in the end anyway.

“… and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5

Often, it is not that we go looking for ways to sin or do wrong. It seems to sneak up on us and we screw up. In hindsight, though, we see that it started with a simple thouht.

James 1:14 says that we are tempted starting with our own sinful desires. It’s not that we just get tempted, but the desire to do what is wrong is within us. Where does that desire come from? Most often it is from the things we think about. That’s why what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is so important!

Our thought life is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) spiritual battlefields. The notes in Fire Bible give some real practical steps to fighting this battle. I’ll summarize and list them below.

1. Be aware that God knows every thought.
2. Be aware that your mind is a battlefield.
3. When a thought comes into your mind, take hold of it and measure it up against the standards God presents in the Bible. If it doesn’t match up, ask God to take it and make a point not to dwell on it.
4. Replace the bad thoughts with good thoughts (see Philippians 4:8)
5. Focus on Christ.
6. Be careful what you are seeing and hearing (e.g., music/movies/tv). What you let yourself watch and listen to influences your thoughts more than anything else.

For more reading on this topic, see the notes on 2 Corinthians 10:5 in the Fire Bible (pg. 1678).

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…”
Hebrews 13:5

This passage really spoke to me today. God has been reminding me that how much money I make or the sort of things I have are enough. He provides all I need. Too often, I find myself wanting more and more, spending too much time thinking of how I can get it or what it would be like to have new or better stuff.

God is the God of plenty. He will make sure we have what we need, but we need to be thankful for what we have.

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Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14

Why is holiness so important for our spiritual lives? What sticks out to me is the last part of the phrase, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.” We are not able to truly have a relationship with the Lord unless we are pursuing him in holiness.

What is holiness? To be holy is to be set apart and dedicated to the Lord, morally pure, and seperated from evil. This is the very reason Christ came and died on the cross; so we would be made holy. His blood purifies us and cleanses us from our sins so that we can begin a relationship with the Lord. And he gave us the Holy Spirit to empowers us and gives us the ability to pursue God and gives us the strength and wisdom to make right choice (aka – be morally pure).

Another reason why it is important to be holy: other people will not see the Lordif you and I aren’t holy. We need to be dedicated to the Lord or else they won’t see how the Lord can really change their life and help them here and now. That’s what made people see the difference in the early Christians. They truly loved the Lord and loved others and people saw that it was something different.

Challenge: Be different. Be holy.