Part 3 Transformation from Faults

Part 3

Transformation from Faults

Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Definition: fault; in all simplicity a fault is not a physical blemish, such as a zit on one’s nose, or a crooked nose. Rather a fault is a sin or something worthy of judgment. In this lesson we are primarily concerned with the faults of man that God is transforming. With that in mind we are reminded of the importance of supporting one another as we are all being transformed in one way or another.

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.”

T

ransformation is a very personal journey, as a result it may be nearly impossible to detect. Such sins may exist in recurring thoughts, without being manifest in behavior, and therefore as equally impossible to assist one or bear their burden. Last week we studied how the believer is being transformed in the loving hands of the Master Potter.

While transformation is a personal journey it also requires and demands consideration and support from others as the above passages and others purport.

Reasons or Excuses for Concealment

There are a number of reasons a person may choose to conceal their personal faults or hurts:

1.    Fear of being rejected and ostracized from fellowship.

2.    Fear of humiliation from being discovered.

3.    Fear that we are the only ones with this particular fault.

4.    Fear that no one cares.

5.    Fear of false accusations.

6.    Once revealed a fault is something that is worthy of judgment

Faults run the entire spectrum of sin from sexual immorality, to racism, to lying, stealing, covetousness, idolatry, substance abuse, pornography or virtually anything God calls sin. There are secret sins, called iniquity, such as covetousness, and outward sin of all sorts.

Sin, whether secret or outward is humiliating, to say the least, but more so when discovered by our peers. That’s why it’s so important to confess our faults to one another and to help each other. To “clear the air” so to speak, in its self has certain healing properties but to confess our faults is to bring about divine intervention and healing. To “keep it bottled up to ourselves” is self destructive. So the Master Potter often uses other believers in the transformation process. 2Cor.1:4 states that we are to comfort each other [even in the case of a fault] though the original intent is to bring comfort for a hurt. A hurt or wound is much different than a fault. The guilt of sin may also bring about physical sickness, or even a premature demise, see 1Cor.11:29-33. Although one may, and rightfully so, be hurting from the guilt of sin, a hurt or wound is not necessarily the result of a sinful action or behavior, Job, for example, was hurt deeply not for any sin he’d committed, but simply because of loss, death, illness etc..

A word of caution: contemporary Christians, even as in Job’s account, may be subjected to false accusations of sin therefore it is wise to keep such false announcements to yourself especially if you’re not absolutely positive about such sin.

Recall, if you will, Gal.6:1-2 requires “ye that are spiritual” to restore, which implies that the “spiritual” one is to be led, guided and directed by the Spirit. They feel an unction or prompting from the Spirit. All too often the “spiritual” one is in fact being led by the flesh, as in Job’s friends, and not the Spirit, thus worsening and prolonging the agony.

God also uses church discipline, as outlined in Matt.18:15-35; 1Cor.5:1-8 Gal.5:23; Col.3; 1Tim.5:19-21 as a method of transformation. An earlier study this year on church discipline revealed stages of discipline in which the discipline procedure graduated from a personal, private confrontation between the subject and God, to include the defendant and offended, then to the church, and finally excommunication.

A note of comfort: I realize that teachings such as this may have the tendency to be a bit overwhelming, but rest assured that the Master Potter has it all under control with His loving arms supporting us all the way home. He still loves each of us therefore it is for that purpose He continues to transform us.

Struggle or Stronghold

Struggles are those fleshly appetites we struggle with. From time to time we may “give in” to the struggle always receiving God’s loving forgiveness upon confession and repentance.  A stronghold, however, is the result of continual submission to the struggle within. The more we submit to the struggle the weaker our flesh becomes and the closer to a stronghold it becomes. A struggle may be overcome by continually resisting it (James 4:7) while at the same time submitting ourselves to God. It is the point whereas we cease to resist and cease to submit to God that the struggle becomes a stronghold. Both need to be revealed to another (James 5:16) and overcome in the name of Jesus, prayer and fasting (Isaiah 58:3-12).                                                                              This makes it imperative for believers to rebuke, restore, admonish, one another, praying and fasting for each other in the spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1-2).

Faith Building Practice and Review

1.    What is the difference between a fault and a hurt or wound?

2.    What is the difference between sin and iniquity?

3.    Why is it so difficult to discern when a person is being transformed either through a sin or hurt?

4.    What five fears keep one from sharing?

5.    In what ways can you identify with them?

6.    What is the responsibility of the “spiritual” one?

7.    What is the purpose of comforting others and restoring them?

8.    What element is present when one confesses their faults to another?

9.    Define a fault in your own words:

10. Do you see the value of having a trusted one to share your innermost hurts and faults?

11. What is the difference between a struggle and a stronghold?

12. How must each be dealt with and why?

Toxic Waste

Toxic Waste

Proverbs 22:24-25 “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul.”

Proverbs 25:23 “The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.”

Proverbs 29:22 “An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.”

Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”

S

cripture is replete with admonitions against keeping company with angry people. However, angry people are not the only snares to our souls. Basically, any person with a negative demeanor, a gossip, complainer, backbiter, talebearer, evil speaker or a host of other colorful personages are a snare unto us. They may all be classified as Toxic Waste. Toxic Waste is just what the name says it is—it is toxic, it wastes lives, and as such it is dangerous because it contaminates everything or person exposed to it, and therefore it is also contagious, just as Proverbs states. Keeping company with angry or negative people rubs off and contaminates. That’s just the way life works!

When the infected person takes the toxin home they in turn contaminate the family unit—the very ones they are charged to protect, likewise, if not checked, the family further contaminates all they come into contact with.

Toxic Waste has the ability to cause people to up and quit their job, or suddenly move across town or some other irrational behavior. Those infected spread rumors and cause division, they incite otherwise rational people into doing or saying irrational things.

If a person has a sharp tongue at work and puts down other co-workers, the disease will spread like wildfire throughout the workplace working its deadly toxin on the unsuspecting. That’s one of the deceitful characteristics of the toxin; a person doesn’t know they have been infected, in fact may be in denial all the while spreading the vile to others.

Common excuses for keeping company with such negative persons may range from:

·         I really like them, they’re my best friend.

·         They’re just stating facts.

·         They don’t mean any harm.

·         What they say is important in my job.

Essentially rationalization is the basic reason for not parting company with them.

Affected to Infected

Sin is always progressive if not stopped. First you are affected by negative people which in turn affects your own rationalization and cognitive skills; that’s what is termed as a struggle. The next step is just as subtle, that is, being infected which may be compared to the biblical term stronghold. It is at this point that you no longer struggle to rid yourself of undesirable behavior and speech, but you actually infect others with your negative behavior. In essence you place a stumbling block in front of another thus causing them to stumble. It becomes a vicious circle gradually engulfing many others.

Election Noise

Election Noise

Every election is replete with noise, noise in the sense of emotional roller-coasters.

Roller-coasters all have something in common. Even without the riders they are very noisy. Their steel wheels gliding along the steel rails generating lively sparks are themselves enough to rupture an eardrum, added to this its screaming passengers, not to mention the periodic hot lunches. Personally I prefer much quieter rides like the carousel or even better, the park bench.

Elections are a lot like those roller-coasters, especially the debates. Election debates, especially the first ones, are designed and orchestrated, if you will, to generate an emotional frenzy in the minds of its listeners.

Elections are also a lot like sales. The object of sales is emotions for salesmen are trained to appeal to the client’s emotions. Emotions are the prime motivators of sales. Most sales are generated because a customer gets emotional or excited about a product or service, so the salesperson is trained to close the sale based on your emotions not logic. Once a prospective customer begins to ask questions or time to “think it over”, the salesperson knows it’s time to shift gears or lose the sale. Sales people are notorious for misquoting or omitting material information, likewise are politicians.

So also are elections geared to cause you to make an emotional decision instead of a rational one.

The key to elections is to “think it over”, to take your time and rationalize each candidate and issues. Separate yourself from the bling and the bang and all the noise, sit back with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and read every opinion on the candidates and issues you can get your hands on. After all, that’s perhaps the one difference between an election and a sales presentation—you actually have a built in time to literally de-board the election roller-coaster, at least for a time. That’s the time to sit on the park benches and smell the flowers, while sipping your favorite latte and reading opinions, and blogs of how others access the candidates and issues.

It is only after taking these vital steps that one can truthfully vote with confidence.

Election Woes!

                                                               Election Woes!
I really don't see what people see in the Presidential debates. With both sides distorting issues and facts it makes it even tougher to decide between candidates. The best way is to set aside all previous biases and with a clear head attempt to sort through the muck and mire.
After the biases have been silenced a few helpful hints will clarify the issues.
  1. Avoid voting along party lines. The old adage about Democrats being for the poor and                    Republicans for the rich is severely antiquated. In truth both parties, in contemporary society, are for the rich and themselves. It takes money to make money, and in reality that's what both sides are all about.
 2. Don't listen to debate stats on issues or track records. Check out the facts of a candidate's track record, which is a better indicator of future performance. I find the after Debate commentaries more reliable than those of the emotionally charged debate.
 3. If possible follow the incumbent during his tenure to insure accuracy. If not possible, it is a matter of public record.
  4. Be wary of special interest groups. They have their own agenda which may or may not be for the common good of the country.
  5. Check out major issues such as retirement, Social Security, the economy, and employment. Discover what experts are saying and which candidate agrees most closely.
  6. Check out Biblical examples and principles and compare candidate's position to see if it most accurately agrees with Scripture.
  7. After all your personal research has been done, check to see which candidate most closely agrees with your research beliefs and goals.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Definition: blessed is most often improperly termed as happy which is a temporary state which depends upon some outside circumstance coming upon one; when in fact, it means a permanent state or condition as the result of an inward transformation by the Spirit of God.  Thus a person could be blessed without being happy simply because of what God hath done in his or her life.

There are times in our lives when we desperately need to “bite our tongue.” Another verse comes to mind—Matthew 10:16 “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” This verse speaks of being sent forth as witnesses in a dark and dangerous world to testify of your faith in Jesus Christ. The context speaks of being in the company of angry, bitter, hateful, and spiteful men whereby one careless slip of the mouth could cause severe harm and possibly an early demise; “being wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

Unfortunately the tendency is to strike with vengeance sinking our venomous fangs into the first available warm body.

Being a peacemaker does not mean that one is to knuckle under to the malignancy of the world system, rather it means we ought to “pick our fights” and choose our words wisely. It may not seem like you’re blessed, but remember the blessing is not in the feeling—but the blessing is that God calls you His child.

Someone said “that’s why God gave us one mouth and two ears—so we would listen twice and speak once.”

In order to be a peacemaker—sometimes it’s better to hold your peace, even when your flesh wants to unleash its deadly venom.