Author: Charlie Garrett

Romans 14:16

Charlie Garrett Romans (Written)

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Friday, 27 December 2013

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;  Romans 14:16

With the use of the word “therefore” we are asked to refer to what was just said in order to grab Paul’s intended meaning. The previous two verses stated, “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.”

Because “nothing is unclean of itself” we may feel that we have liberty to partake of anything at any time without harm. This is not the case. It would be entirely inappropriate to invite a known Christian vegetarian over to your house and then serve only dishes with meat. In fact, knowingly doing this would be evil. And the good you intended by the invitation for dining will only be “spoken of as evil.”

Likewise, if you were to start attending a congregation which consisted of Messianic Jews (Jewish folks who have accepted Christ as Lord) and were to bring a ham sandwich along for a snack, you would more than probably cause a large amount of offense; not because there is anything inherently wrong with a ham sandwich, but because these believers have spent their lives refraining from such food and will probably continue to do so even if they know they now have the freedom to do otherwise.

Having said that, it should be noted that in modern society someone will always find offense at something another does. There must be a point where the offended party has to simply grow up and stop being offended all the time. But tact and diplomacy over these matters comes down to love. And this is true from either angle, by the one exercising their freedom and by the one who is easily offended. In the end, the consideration of the situation from the angle of love will be pleasing to the Lord.

Life application: Use sound judgment towards others. If atheists are offended by a nativity scene, that is their problem, not yours. However, if a fellow believer is offended by your freedom in your style of worship while you are attending their church, then maybe you need to adjust to accommodate them. Make your considerations in such matters with Jesus as the example and love as the guide.

Wonderful, beautiful Savior. Thank You for the perfect life You gave on that rugged cross in payment of my sin debt. I know that eternity itself will never bring me to the end of the debt of praise and adoration I owe to You for the majesty of Your grace and mercy. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Please delight in my love and worship. Glory to You in the highest. Amen.

Romans 14:15

Charlie Garrett Romans (Written)

Thursday, 26 December 2013

Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Romans 14:15

We’ve been given instructions on our liberties in Christ, but those freedoms need to be exercised carefully in both directions. Just as one “weak in the faith” shouldn’t be accusing another who eats whatever they wish, the opposite is true too. The person who understands their freedoms needs to not attempt to impose them in a haughty manner over the weaker in the faith. When a Jewish person comes to Christ, they may have spent their entire life refraining from foods forbidden under the law. Even if they understand their freedoms, they may be so fixed in their dietary restrictions that they don’t want to change.

It would be wholly unreasonable to try to get them to indulge in something they are not prepared to eat. In having them work against their own conscience, you will grieve them. In so doing, “you are no longer walking in love.” The same is true with vegetarians. Whose stomach are they filling? If they wish to eat only vegetables, is that truly any business of another? Let people choose what they wish to eat and “do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.”

If they are believers, He has already accepted them. Will another’s attempts to change their dietary habits change their position in Christ? No. So let them be, let them partake as they wish, and don’t force your freedoms on them. By doing so, they are no longer freedoms. Love is the key and one cannot be forceful about “doubtful things” and still be acting in love.

On the other hand, one cannot be acting in love while tolerating that which is clearly forbidden. God has decided what is and what is not acceptable. It is incumbent on us to be firm in that which He is firm in and to allow freedom in that which He has allowed freedom. To go too far in one direction or another leads to either license or legalism; both of which are poison to the faith and practice necessary to have a sound relationship with the Lord.

Life application: By knowing what is allowed and what is forbidden, we can know how to handle each situation as it arises within the context of our Christian faith. And the only way to know these things is to… to… to know your Bible. Never stop reading, studying, and memorizing this precious word.

Heavenly Father, I have to stop and ask myself from time to time, “How can I be pleasing to You unless I do what You ask?” From there, “How can I do what You  ask unless I know Your word?” It all comes back to Your word. Doctrine does matter and it can only come from keeping my nose in Your word. Thank You for the Blueprint for my life, the Constitution of my faith, and the Lamp for my feet. Thank You for Your word. Amen.  

1 John 1:1 (Christmas 2013)

Charlie Garrett Special / Holiday (Written)

Word

Christmas Day
Wednesday, 25 December 2013

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 1 John 1:

In Genesis 2:7, we read these words – “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Before the creation of Adam, there was the Lord God. He formed man according to His wisdom and shaped Him with hands of love. And then into that lifeless form, He breathed the breath of life. From that one man, He took a rib and formed a partner for him. Together, they united and new life came. Each child born since then also bears the image of God. Little babies arrive and the same breath of life that filled Adam continues on in them. Though the parents age and die, the life continues in each new generation.

But in each child since Adam, there has been a flaw – we call it “original sin.” The man disobeyed God and a rift came between the two. Instead of the delight of Eden, there came the woes of thorns and thistles. In place of fellowship, there arose strife. Where there was once access to the Tree of Life, there was the promise of the expiration of the breath of life. Were this to be the final lot of man, it would be a vapid, purposeless existence; let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.

But along with the condemnation and separation came a promise. The Lord God who breathed the breath of life into man would make it all right again. That which was lost would be restored. The generations passed and the promises continued. Each carried a new glimpse of what was coming, but none gave enough to prepare the world for the magnitude of the event. And it came in the most surprising way of all –

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:10-14

The Lord God who formed man; the Lord God who breathed life into the man He formed; the same Lord God whom the man disobeyed; this loving Creator stepped into His creation. He united with the flesh He fashioned and became a Man. This is what the Bible bears witness to; this is its wondrous testimony –

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

This is the Christmas story and He is the Child of Christmas. Hands handled Him, ears heard His voice, eyes gazed upon His veiled glory and they believed. Today, we too can participate in the unfolding story of the wondrous Lord who loved His people so much that He came and dwelt among us. We too can witness concerning the Word of life. Let us carry in our hearts the Child of Christmas throughout the year and let us never shrink back from the bold proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Yes, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! Jesus has come.

Lord God Almighty, today I receive the greatest Gift of all; I receive the Child of Christmas. Renew in me this day the deepest desire to commit to honor Him all my days. Give me boldness to proclaim that Christ has come into the world He created. The Babe in the manger is the incarnate Word, my Lord Jesus. Glory to God in the highest for this marvelous thing You have done. Amen.

 

 

Luke 1:35 (Christmas Eve 2013)

Charlie Garrett Special / Holiday (Written)

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Tuesday, 24 December 2013

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

There is a common thread and idea in the Old Testament which is found noted both explicitly and implicitly. It is that One would come to restore what Adam lost. The first hint of this coming One is in Genesis 3:15 –

“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

After this, countless references appear which point to Him. Right after their expulsion from the garden, children are born. From these, a single line is highlighted. Again and again, individuals are named and the stories of their lives are given to show God’s superintending hand of care upon the process of ushering in the promised Redeemer.

Abraham was called and eventually he was given the sign of circumcision. That sign was given to identify a select group whom God would use and through whom would come the promise. But even the sign itself is a picture of the coming Messiah. The Bible shows us that sin came through Adam. It then travels through the male to his offspring. As every human has both a father and a mother, every human receives Adam’s fallen nature. Circumcision pictures the cutting away of that fallen nature by cutting the male organ through which sin is transmitted. But it was only a picture; the sin still comes through the father to the child. This is evidenced in the record of those born within the covenant community.

The covenant people continued on, generation after generation. And within their group prophets continued to proclaim the coming One. Hints concerning His birthplace, His ministry, and even His nature are given. Every word of their Scriptures drips with allusions to His coming. But the prophets stopped speaking and a time of quiet came. Approximately 430 years went by and then unexpectedly, a man named Zechariah was given the promise of a son who would go before the Lord to proclaim Him to the people.

Shortly after that, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish virgin named Mary. He spoke these words to her –

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

Her response was natural, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And his answer forms the verse we are looking at today. Suddenly, the promises and pictures all come into focus. How could the “seed of the woman” defeat the devil? The answer is that the woman, a fallen child of Adam and bearing his sin and fallen nature like any other person, will bear the Son of God. The sign of circumcision is now understandable. Sin is pictured as being cut away in the covenant people because sin is cut away through the covenant people.

Because sin travels from father to child, and because this Child will have no human father, then no sin will be transferred to Him, despite the fallen nature of the mother. She will be the receptacle through which will come the Messiah of the world. His Father being God, He will be God. His mother being a human, He will be a human. He is the God-Man.

The Child of Christmas is coming; hope for the world is to be found in Him.

Life application: The Christmas Child was born and so we celebrate His birth once a year. But the Christmas Child is eternal, so let us celebrate His life always and forever.

Glorious God Almighty – We wrap presents, anticipate gifts, eat a lot of food, and we share in family and friends. But too often we forget that the only reason we do these things is to mark the birth of the Messiah. Lord God, open hearts and minds to the truth of this day, be exalted for the wondrous work You have accomplished, and receive our thanks and praise for the greatest Gift of all, the Child of Christmas – our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen. 

Romans 14:14

Charlie Garrett Romans (Written)

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Monday, 23 December 2013

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Romans 14:14

Paul’s thought today takes us right back to what was analyzed in verses 2 and 3. They state, “For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.” At that time, it was noted that, “If Paul says, ‘one believes he may eat all things’ and he doesn’t later correct this during his discussion (which he will not), then it shows definitively that a believer can, in fact, eat all things.”

Today confirms that analysis. In an emphatic way, he gives two affirmations of the thought:

1) I know
2) And am convinced by the Lord Jesus

Paul’s understanding of the gospel, combined with his own personal instruction from the Lord, showed him (and thus he to us) “that there is nothing unclean of itself.” He is speaking of food in this passage and so states, as clearly as could possibly be stated, that any and all food is clean. There is no other way to interpret this without abusing the text, and yet denominations and cults are lined up to speak contrary to what is stated here, forbidding foods which God has ordained for us to eat. Again, “nothing is unclean of itself.”

However, something can be unclean, despite it being clean. And that is “to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” By stating this, he has resolved two key points:

1) Nothing is unclean in and of itself
2) Violating one’s conscience will defile something that is clean
Therefore,
3) If the conscience is what defiles something, then if that conscience accepts that thing as clean, it remains clean.

That which is unclean is that which is received without faith. Should someone have a conscience about eating an animal because they feel bad for the animal (or for whatever reason), then that animal is to them unclean.

Through understanding Paul’s words today that nothing is unclean of itself, it then becomes incumbent on teachers of doctrine to properly teach that precept. To teach that any particular type of animal isn’t to be eaten because it is unclean becomes a violation of doctrine. The animal is clean; the conscience defiles. Personal conscience is not a reason to teach doctrine contrary to what the Bible states; it is sin.

Life application: If someone teaches a precept based on emotion or personal likes or dislikes rather than as the Bible instructs, they have sinned against God who gave the Bible. Be aware of such teachers and find other avenues of instruction for your doctrine and practice.

Lord, I thank You for the Gift of your Son; I thank You for His cross; I thank You for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit who has sealed me because of my faith in the work of Christ; and I thank You for Your word which has led me to understand these things. Now Lord, I would ask that You give me the boldness to go out and proclaim that which I am thankful for… to Your glory. Amen.