The beginning of 2024 has been a little rocky. Monday Morning is coming out…on Friday, and it’s coming out warts and all. I haven’t had time to edit it so please forgive the grammar and mechanics. I decided it was more important to get the raw words out than to polish the apple this week.
Best Ever-Best Church Ever
It is Thursday when I sit down to write this week’s Monday Morning with Jesus. Deadlines, life, and other unexpected stuff crept in. I knowingly and willingly put off this week’s writing because the deadline is self-imposed. I should not but I did. Now, I have a lot to do at the end of the week and it still hasn’t been done. I apologize for that. Let’s get into the scripture.
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:12–17 (NASB95)
Verse 12 has an interesting word choice in the KJV over NASB. “Elect of God” vs “Chosen of God.” The word “elect” vs “chosen” is really the only important part. The Greek word indicates “favorite” or select such as “the best of.”
Some people try to use this word choice and passage to indicate Christians are prideful or carry a “better than thou” attitude. They’re not wrong. Some Christians do carry that attitude based on this word usage and passage. I think they are wrong. I also think they don’t know who God’s “favorites” really are. The part I find interesting is that if I’m not God’s “favorite”, that doesn’t mean I’m not a child of God. I’m okay with that. I’d like to be God’s favorite but honestly, as long as I’m in the club that makes me happy.
That last sentence seems exclusory, and it is but to a point. It isn’t exclusory in that you or someone else can't be in the club too. It is exclusory in that there are those who are in and those who are not; specifically those who accept Jesus as their Lord and those who do not. I post this scripture quite a bit but I can’t help it.
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
John 14:6–7 (NASB95)
The other one I post less frequently but mention often in small group is this one.
30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
31“Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.
32“Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Matthew 12:30–32 (NASB95)
Repentance is something the church doesn’t talk about much anymore either. The message gets watered down and lost or avoided. We’re all about just love but no one talks about the importance of change in self. We focus on not offending anyone.
18“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
19“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
Acts 3:18–21 (NASB95)
Yes, I’d like to be God’s “favorite” but I am broken, dirty, and lazy in my efforts to move closer to the Savior. I’ll settle for just in. I hope my sloth doesn’t end up costing me in the long run.
Another difference in verse 12 was the use of “bowels” in the KJV versus “heart of” in the NASB. The Greek indicates the point is that it comes from within us meaning a sympathy or internal feeling toward someone else. The traits that follow; mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, and longsuffering are those things we should feel towards other people instinctively. I frequently have to remind myself those should be primary instead of secondary.
Verse 13 reinforces the principle tenet of Christianity; forgiveness. We are to be like our Lord, and forgive. We do not. But, forgiveness does not mean forgetting. The Greek word here is very instructive. Let’s look at the word used in verse 13 for forgiving, “…forgiving one another.”
Greek Strong’s Number: 5483
Greek Word: χαρίζομαι
Transliteration: charizomai
Phonetic Pronunciation: khar-id’-zom-ahee
Root: middle voice from <G5485>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 9:372,1298
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Bestow, Deliver, Deliverance, Deliverer, Forgive, Forgave, Forgiveness, Give
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
forgive 11
give 6
freely give 2
deliver 2
grant 1
frankly forgive 1
[Total Count: 23]
Middle from <G5485> (charis); to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue:- deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.
James Strong, “Χαρίζομαι,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).
There is your forgiving as Christ forgave, as a favor, graciously. What does that mean though “as a favor, graciously?” This one is going to bother some people, be very easy for others, and still others will find it next to impossible to do. I think practice on this one makes it easier, though I confess to be in the latter camp I think.
favor
fey-ver
noun
1. something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act:to ask a favor.
2. friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill:to win the favor of the king.
3. the state of being approved or held in regard:to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.
4. excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment:to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.
5. a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.
6. a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.
7. a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.
8. Usually favors. sexual intimacy, especially as permitted by a woman.
9. Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.
verb (used with object)
10. to regard with favor:to favor an enterprise.
11. to prefer; treat with partiality:The father favored his younger son.
12. to show favor to; oblige:The king favored him with an audience.
13. to be favorable to; facilitate:The wind favored their journey.
14. to deal with, treat, or use gently:to favor a lame leg.
15. to aid or support:He favored his party's cause with ample funds.
16. to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble:to favor one's father's side of the family.
That very first entry, “something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act.” Out of goodwill rather than from justice or remuneration (getting something back.) Christians have a word for this. Grace. Undeserved. Forgiveness is something people don’t earn from us. It is something we give them because Jesus first gave it to us, undeserved and without merit but a gift given nonetheless.
Verse 14 has a word I like very much to discuss from the King James Version to other translations. The KJV uses "charity” while other translations use love and I think that’s a disservice to the intent. The word used is agape, and I think it gets watered down but that is no surprise from the people who ignore repentance as a part of the salvational change invoked by faith in Jesus. First, let’s look at agape.
Greek Strong’s Number: 26
Greek Word: ἀγάπη
Transliteration: agapē
Phonetic Pronunciation: ag-ah’-pay
Root: from <G25>
Cross Reference: TDNT - 1:21,5
Part of Speech: n f
Vine’s Words: Feast, Love, Love feasts
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
love 86
charity 27
dear 1
charitably+ <G2596> 1
feast of charity 1
[Total Count: 116]
from <G25> (agapao); love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:- (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.
James Strong, “Ἀγάπη,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).
Some like to focus on the “love feast” portion but I’d like to look at the root word agape is derived from, agapao. Here’s that word.
Greek Strong’s Number: 25
Greek Word: ἀγαπάω
Transliteration: agapaō
Phonetic Pronunciation: ag-ap-ah’-o
Root: perhaps from agan (much) [or cf <H5689> ]
Cross Reference: TDNT - 1:21,5
Part of Speech: v
Vine’s Words: Beloved, Love
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV:
love 135
beloved 7
[Total Count: 142]
perhaps from agan (much) [or compare <H5689> (`agab)]; to love (in a social or moral sense):- (be-) love (-ed). Compare <G5368> (phileo).
James Strong, “Ἀγαπάω,” Strong’s Talking Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (WORDsearch, 2020).
On the rare occasions this word comes up people like to focus on the comparison to phileo, which is romantic love. They use that to say this is “brotherly love” and that would be correct. However, it misses the important part that comes first in that the root word for agape love is to love in a social or moral sense. That means to love that which is morally and socially beneficial to society as a whole. Why is that important? Because it means we are not to love those things that are not morally and socially good, at least we are not to shower a “love feast” upon those things. Well, where does that definition of what is morally and socially good come from? If you are a Christian, someone who claims the Risen Christ as your Lord and Savior you have no option. What is morally and socially good comes from God as He gave it to His people (his favorites) in the Bible. Unfortunately, there are those out there who want to ignore what God said is good and bad because that means they have to look at some of the people they see and make value judgments they’d rather not make. Life isn’t going to be easy and this is a part of that, in my opinion.
That sort of “Charity” or “agape love” is the bond of “perfectness” we are to carry with us. That bond then, if it is in our hearts, unifies us as a single church-universal in which we are to “…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” as both the KJV and NASB put it. But also dwell richly in us “in all wisdom.” In all wisdom. There is only One who has “all wisdom” and I am not Him. So, I refer to His Word when a question about what is wise comes up. I let Him decide what is wise and what is not. Then, anyone who disagrees with me, if I have quoted scripture properly, is not disagreeing with me, but with God. I’ll let the Holy Spirit and God sort that one out. That’s not within my pay grade. That, to me is what is contained in the “teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” means. I am going to tell you what I have found in scripture. I am going to give you the scripture I have found that leads me to form the opinion(s) I have formed. Anyone who wishes to disagree with me is free to do so and if you bring your scripture with you we can debate those passages. Anyone who does not bring scripture with them, well, I’ll leave you in the hands of God because I think you are running from the meaning you already know exists in His Word and once again, that’s not my issue but an issue between you and God.
Verse 17 is one of the many reasons I don’t argue with people over scripture anymore, especially when they don’t bring their own quotable passages with them. This is also why I point you to the Bible and the Holy Spirit so frequently. I truly believe you can get a different meaning out of scripture than I do and be walking in God’s path. If you have brought a different understanding of scripture to the table AND bring that scripture with your reasons to the discussion, if my scripture and reasons don’t sway your opinion, then go with God. I’m willing to say you may just be right, and I might be wrong, but I’m going to go my way and you yours because I won’t stand before God for your interpretations, and you won’t stand before Him for mine either. He can be our judge, and I think we can both be right based on what He has for us to do, so I’m not putting a stumbling block before His other servant. Go with God, and Godspeed to you.
Best Church Ever
Pastor Kristen Lee opened with a statement that struck me. She said, “The Best Church Ever is when the people of God gather to spread the love of Christ.” I agree with that. She then went on to list those things “the people of God” are to clothe themselves with, namely what is listed in verse 12. She asked the question, though, whether these are to be things “clothed” inside or outside, and I wondered, couldn’t it be both?
Her analogy was like putting on and taking off clothing on a single day in Georgia when it starts out very cold for a big coat, but later on, you are walking around in shorts. She suggested that maybe these things could be put on like we put on a big coat to get warm and wondered if these things moved from the outside in like the warmth of a coat or blanket? Can we put on compassion and all the other attributes, like clothing for warmth? The Cap of Compassion, “kicks” of kindness, pants of patience, or jacket of gentleness; can these things be put on and taken off?
The warmth from the outside, in analogy, I think is a good one. In this case, we see someone being kind or compassionate, and that moves us, but we forget about it because we don’t see it all the time. Then, we see it again, and it reminds us of the other time as well as our intention to change. But again, we forget. The more we see the thing from somewhere outside us, the more it warms our heart, and eventually we remember when we don’t see it and start to do it on our own. Then, we do it more and more until we finally have a new habit. That’s a little bit like warmth moving from our skin into the core of our body until we are warm and don’t consider ourselves cold anymore. I wonder how long it takes to put on compassion and not feel “cold” anymore?
Pastor Lee moved into forgiveness from here. It brought to mind the church split currently going on between the United Methodists and the Global Methodists. I wondered whether or not one of us would forgive the other and who would move first? It then occurred to me to wonder if it mattered if they forgive me or does it only matter if I forgive them? Whether we forgive or not, I wonder how or even if we can “come together” again after this? Most likely not in my lifetime, if ever.
She then began talking about a growing number of Christians who have left the church but still proclaim to be “evangelical Christians.” They claim to have a personal relationship with God but no longer attend church because the people in the church are distasteful to them. I’m not saying which side is which or even a personal opinion on the matter. The numbers are what the numbers are. People are leaving organized religion but claiming to still have faith.
I will tell you that was my stance for a long time.
In the church I attended back in the late 80s, I did not see what I considered to be god-like behavior from those who claimed the title Christian. As I look back on that time, I didn’t either, but I wasn’t pointing fingers at myself because that was uncomfortable. I was accusatory to everyone else around me. I had a good relationship with the Lord and didn’t need a church to facilitate my conversations with Him.
What I learned later in life is that I actually stunted my growing closer to Him with my prideful attitude.
You cannot grow closer to God without the people of God. The people of God cannot grow closer to God without you helping them stay aligned with His Word. We need corporate worship of God to be the people of God.
Can you have a faith-walk with God without a church? Yes. However, at some point your spiritual growth stops without the people of God, that great cloud of witnesses, to surround you and aid in your growth. If you eschew church and the people in it because some do not match what you think they all should be, you are only hurting your own spiritual growth. You will be stuck with the milk of Christianity unable to chew the meat until you accept and join the Body of Christ.
5So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”;
6just as He says also in another passage, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
7In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
10being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
11Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:5–14 (NASB95)
Pastor Lee went into recounting the things that happened at a recent church leadership retreat. They covered questions like “What is church,” “Why is church,” “How do we do church,” and made a list of what we do as a church.
She seemed to focus on the “why church” question. The point of the Why Church question was meant to revolve around the idea that the church showed up and made a difference in someone’s life to the point that they wanted to know why the church did that thing, whatever that thing was. She presented a fill in the blank question, “The church showed up and BLANK.” Her point was that actions of the church are supposed to have impact on the community in such a way that people’s lives are changed for the good, for the agapao good in a moral and social sense.
Pastor Lee had poster paper with Why statements from the leadership conference. She focused on these statements but turned it to the individual and asked us all to “Know your why.” Why would you volunteer at this church, why would someone come to this church, why would anyone want to know more about this church. She challenged us to all know our personal “why” so that if people approached us we could explain why this church.
This question is a difficult one for me for other reasons. I may or may not keep that all to myself ultimately, but for now I will. Perhaps later I will expand on why the Why question is hard for me.
At this point though I will leave you with a scripture about knowing your why and the same challenge. Consider why; Why God, Why my church, Why my faith, and Why Jesus? Then, consider how you present that to the world so that someone else might ask you a leading question of “why would you do this for me?”
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
17For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
1 Peter 3:15–17 (NASB95)