The West Side church of Christ

Many people have trust issues. It seems that people, no matter how close or how good their intentions are end up hurting us in some way. They may have given in to temptation and lied, they might have innocently fed us misinformation. Even some who are close betray us. God, however, cannot do any of these things. Although God is unlimited by force, space, or time, there are some things God cannot do because they are contrary to His nature and principles.

First, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:17-18). God is truth and as such, for Him to lie or be deceitful is against His nature. Since God cannot lie and He inspired the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21), then He must be true to His Word. If the Bible says you must obey the gospel to be saved (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9) and God were to save those who have not obeyed the gospel, He would be a liar. If God is a liar, there is no reason to trust in His promise of heaven or even that He loves since these are both revealed in His Word.

Second, God cannot tempt us (James 1:13). God is not tempted, there is not even a little darkness in Him by which to tempt Him (cf. 1 John 1:5). He is completely, utterly, 100% holy and pure (cf. Isaiah 6:3). As such, He cannot tempt us to sinful behavior: to do so would make Him part of the sin. He sometimes tests us with trials and sufferings (cf. James 1:2-7), but will never influence us to sin. This means we cannot blame God for sources of temptation in our lives. If anything, God limits the trials and temptations we face so that we will always have a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Third, God cannot show prejudice (Acts 10:34-35, Romans 2:11). God is righteous and just so He cannot judge unfairly. Race, color, background, gender do not enter into the judgment. He wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). He sends good things upon the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). He has given us one standard by which we will be judged—the teachings of Jesus (John 12:48). No one is going to get by with following a lesser standard and no one will be held to a stricter standard.

It is comforting to know we have a God who is solid and dependable. He doesn’t change His mind or standards from day to day. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He can’t lie to us or lead us down the wrong path.

“The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm” (Proverbs 11:17 NASU). This verse continues the thought of Proverbs 11:16 by showing the results of the different paths to success. We reap what we sow in life. Therefore, we do ourselves good by being merciful and kind to others (cf. Matthew 5:7). Likewise, we harm ourselves by doing others harm. The cruel and ruthless person may obtain riches, but will suffer for it in the end.

“A gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches” (Proverbs 11:16 NASU). Here are two different routes to success often taken in life. One is marked by violence and betrayal and gains temporary blessings on earth. The other is gracious, kind, and helpful and leads to something more precious and lasting than money. We would think the second choice is the obvious one, but many would rather take the easier route and aim for earthly pleasures. We have to realize that ruthlessness is not the only way to be successful, nor are riches the only way of determining success.

Note: The Hebrew word for ruthless can mean energetic and strong. It does not demand a negative definition. It could be referring to an energetic go-getter. If this is the case it shows a second approved way to go after success—hard work.

In 2 Kings 13:20-21, an intriguing story is recorded. Some Israelites apparently opened the grave of Elisha intending to bury a man (placing multiple bodies in a burial site was the common practice of that day). As they were doing this a band of marauding Moabites came near so they hastily threw the dead man into the grave. When the dead man touched the bones of Elisha, and man they were trying to bury came to life and stood on his feet. Now, Elisha performed many great and amazing miracles during his life, but do you think he ever thought he would perform one after he died?

The fact is the good we may do today may live on after we are dead and gone. The impact each of us makes on God’s Kingdom may never been seen while we are alive. Often we get discouraged serving God because we don’t see the results of our efforts. We strive, labor, and agonize and it seems to accomplish nothing. Our perception, however, is not reality.

Sometimes our accomplishments are unknown to us. The mighty prophet Elijah faced his greatest discouragement after his displayed God’s might on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18. God was shone to be superior to Baal and the prophets of Baal were slain. When Jezebel found out about it, however, she vowed to kill Elijah. He thought he had accomplished nothing and fled into the wilderness. Elijah, however, was not alone. God tells him in 1 Kings 19:18 there were 7,000 Israelites that had not worshipped Baal. Men Elijah had probably unknowingly strengthened and encouraged by his example.

Sometimes our actions will bear fruit after we are gone. The prophet Jeremiah preached his entire life. What did he see as a result of his efforts? He saw his people curse and ridicule him. They threw him into a well. They cut up the letters he sent. Finally, he watched as his people were carried off into captivity because they had not repented and heeded his message. What did he accomplish? His writings and example remain today encouraging countless individuals who feel like throwing in the towel to hang on a little bit longer.

Galatians 6:9 tells us: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” We should never cease striving in God’s Kingdom; we may never know the good we will do.

“He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates being a guarantor is secure” (Proverbs 11:15 NASU). This encourages businessmen to make sure they exercise extreme caution about how they do business and who they do business with. If there are any doubts at all, perhaps it would be better to walk away from the deal. Today’s economy would be completely different if businesses had followed this simple principle. It is foolish to follow a different path than God’s. God’s Word shows us the wisest and best course to take in life.

“Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Proverbs 11:14 NASU). Sometimes it is difficult to take advice from others. We may think we can handle the problem ourselves or it isn’t necessary to bring others in. We think of this as independence, but it is often arrogance. Do we really think we are so smart we do not need the counsel of others? It is wise to acquire counsel (cf. Proverbs 1:5). A group decision is less likely to overlook problems than an individual decision and can prevent critical mistakes. Many counselors give us a wide perspective on a situation which enables us to be more successful than leaning on our own understanding.

Imagine all of your time, energy, skills, and resources are like steam. Steam can quickly evaporate and do nothing, but properly channeled it can move large objects like a steam powered train. We often have difficulty finding ways to apply our gifts, are afraid to use them, or just lack motivation. As a result they accomplish nothing like steam rising into the air and quickly disappearing. Timothy seemed to have this difficulty. In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul writes to Timothy and gives him three channels to properly apply his gifts.

The first channel is power. Although Timothy was knowledgeable about the scriptures, trained by Paul, and possessed a spiritual gift he was too afraid to do what had to be done. A Christian’s life is only effective when he or she realizes the power behind the faith. We can overcome all obstacles, struggles, and trials because our strength is the almighty God (cf. Philippians 4:13). We use the channel of power when we pray (cf. James 5:14-18, 1 John 5:14-15), study His word (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17), and by sharing the gospel, which is the power of God (cf. Romans 1:16).

The second channel is love. Timothy needed to let love motivate him to continue serving God. It does not matter how much power, knowledge, and faith we have, if we do not use them with love we are annoying and useless (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). It is by love that Jesus’ followers are to be recognized (John 13:34-35). It is essential that we have and use love in all we do as Christians. We use the channel of love when we desire what is best for others and treat them with kindness and gentleness.

The third channel is discipline. Timothy needed to exercise discipline in his life. Discipline is what keeps us going when motivation fails. Sometimes we do not feel like praying or studying our Bibles. Sometimes we do not feel like coming to church. It is what helps us share the gospel even when we are afraid. Paul was one who disciplined himself so that he would not lose his reward (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). We use the channel of discipline when we make a decision and a plan to serve God no matter what.

If we do not use the gifts God has given us properly, they will accomplish nothing, but properly applied we can do great things spiritually. We need to recognize the power of God and live our lives with love and discipline.

“He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter” (Proverbs 11:13 NASU). Talebearers are those go around spreading gossip, rumors, and bad reports about others. They make public parts of your life others do not need to know. Proverbs advises us that the wise course of action is to avoid slanderers and gossips that will reveal such information (Proverbs 20:19). We want to have trustworthy people around us, but this means we must also be trustworthy ourselves. To be trustworthy means others can depend on you to keep a confidence. They can get advice or encouragement from you about an embarrassing or potentially embarrassing matter without worrying about you ridiculing them or spreading their information around.

“He who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent” (Proverbs 11:12). In Hebrew, the concept of a neighbor and the concept of a friend are the same and the same word is used for both. Friends and neighbors are those who are often close to us in life. They share in our everyday triumphs and joy, but also our struggles and disappointment. Often a friend or neighbor is there to help when no one else can be or is willing (cf. Proverbs 18:24b). It wouldn’t make sense to despise and belittle such a person with our words, yet so many do exactly this. They talk behind their backs and make fun of them to others, they share entrusted secrets, they gossip and slander them, and otherwise betray their trust and friendship. Men and women of understanding do not vocalize every thought in their heads before thinking about it, they do not have to belittle others to feel good about themselves; they are loyal friends.

“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down” (Proverbs 11:10-11 NASU). When wickedness is predominant, cities quickly become horrible places no right thinking person would live in. In 1880, George H Walser founded the city of Liberal, MO and prevented any Christian influence from coming into the city. Drunkenness, lying, slander, and feticide reigned. Even many life-long atheists could not stand living there. It wasn’t long before the town lifted its ban on Christianity, and today over 50% of its inhabitants believe in some form of Christianity. The full story can be read at the Apologetics Press website. The influence of righteous living is not only felt in the life of the individual but also in the lives of the community.