What is the very first step in living a holy life? Hi, welcome to today’s little lesson. We’re working our way through Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, and we’re getting into the heart of the matter here.

The heart of the sermon and the heart of the matter is heart holiness, and that becomes so very clear as we consider Jesus’s three statements regarding doing things for the right motives. He actually, in this section, in Matthew Chapter 6, that we just started looking at, talks about making sure your motives are right when you give, making sure your motives are right when you pray, and making sure your motives are right when you fast. And in every case, he says the way to check your motive is to do what you do secretly, to assure yourself and to assure the Lord that we’re not doing it because of the desire to be seen by people, because that is what marks the difference between a religious person and a truly righteous person.

Religion is just a show and anyone who is honest and faces up to the facts of the matter, religion is just a put on, it’s a charade, it’s an act. And it’s all for the purpose of building up one’s image in the eyes of other people who see ones religiosity. And God’s not into religion, he wants a relationship, a father with his children. And he loves it when his children obey him because they love him, because that’s why he wants them to obey him, because he loves them.

A lot of times we think that God is angry at us because of sin when, in reality, Jesus … God is sad and saddened because of our sin because he loves us and he knows that we’re going to suffer the consequences of our disobedience. And isn’t that how it is with any father or mother with their children? Yeah. There’s that element of anger when our children disobey us because it is disrespectful. But, on the other hand, we have their own person at heart. We’re thinking, “This is best for you if you do what I tell you because things will go better for you.” And that’s how it is with God.

And, again, sometimes we think God is angry when really he’s sad. Remember, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and he was angered at times. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. Yes, he was angered. But we see this other component of his feelings towards people that disobey and who reject him. He weeps for them because he loves them and he wants what’s best for them.

God doesn’t want us to be religious, putting on a show for others, just trying to get points in the eyes of others. That’s nothing but just selfishness disguised under the guise, oftentimes, of selflessness. And when people make large donations and they announce it with a ceremony and there’s the big check they’re handing to some worthy cause, God’s certainly shaking his head up in Heaven and the angels are weeping because there’s a person who really isn’t motivated by his love for God or his love, even, for the people that he’s supposedly helping. But really, he’s trying to get something for himself and Jesus tells us, “Enjoy it while it lasts because you have no reward with your father who is in Heaven.”

The antidote to all this and the test is to test yourselves and see what’s really in our hearts. This is very thought provoking, this particular passage we’re in in Matthew now.

We already covered the first part where Jesus said, “When you give to the poor, don’t be sounding a trumpet before you … like the hypocrites do in the streets and in the synagogues to announce their distributions. But when you give, do it secretly.”

Now, does this mean that all giving has to be done anonymously and totally secretive? Now that’s … people that think that show that the common air of exulting one verse at the expense of all the rest of the verses in the Bible because surely, the New Testament church, the followers of Jesus Christ knew that he said when you give, give secretly and when you pray, go into your inner room and praise so people don’t see you. Don’t go out in the street corners and do it. But yet, we still find examples of public giving, sure, and we find examples of public prayer, for example, in the New Testament.

And I’m right on the verge of a thunderstorm here, so try not to be alarmed over the next two minutes of this little lesson before we try another time on another day.

Let’s stay balanced. You can test yourself once or twice, giving anonymously, to see how your heart reacts to that. And then, take a look and see how your heart does in that situation. And then if you find that you’re able to do that and do it with joy, then maybe you could consider then it’s okay from then on to not be so secretive in your giving and in your praying.

If all you’re doing is praying publicly all the time and you never pray secretly, if all you’re doing is giving and certain people know about it and that’s all you ever do, then that’s not balanced. Let’s take all the scripture on the subject and not just one little verse and make a religion out of that one verse. When you give to the poor, Jesus said, “Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” so you’re giving will be in secret. Your father who sees what is done in secret, he will reward you, praise God, and he is a rewarded of those who diligently seek him. Nothing wrong with seeking the reward from God, everything right about that. That’s what Jesus is promising us here, right?

If you give secretly, God will reward you. Nothing wrong at all with seeking reward. God allows that bit of self-interest. And I do think, probably, there is a difference that could be delineated between self-interest and selfishness. Selfishness is always at the expense of someone else, whereas self-interest doesn’t necessarily have to harm someone else in the process naturally. We are taking care of ourselves, right? You probably ate today, you’re looking out for yourself. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But when you’re eating at the expense of others and you’re greedy and stuffing your face while someone else across the table is starving, well, now, you’ve turned self-interest into selfishness. And we’re all on the road of progressive sanctification, hopefully, if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ. And who began the good work in you, will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Okay. Well, we’re out of time for today’s lesson. Thank you for joining me for this special outdoor edition and we haven’t been hit by lightening, so that’s a good sign. God bless you.

The post What Is the Very First Step in Living a Holy Life? appeared first on David Servant.

Can true Christians have addictions? In today’s Little Lesson, we’re going to talk a little bit about the subject of addictions, which a lot of people struggle with. Including those who are endeavoring to follow Christ.

Probably the first one that comes to mind is addiction to tobacco. I have heard that the tobacco addiction can be tougher to beat than some addictions to things that are considered to be hard drugs.

I don’t know. I’ve never been addicted to cigarettes or to drugs. I certainly have known my share of folks who have struggled with addictions to cigarettes.

Playing With Chemicals in Our Heads and Brains

Of course, obviously it’s a physiological thing. We’re playing with chemicals in our bodies and in our brains when we’re addicted. It’s not just a matter of it being an easy thing or “if I just could muster up enough willpower.”

Although some people have apparently been able to do that. But not so many. so there are different ways that people have to be able to give up smoking. Then there can be other addictions.

Of course, people can be addicted to caffeine. “I’ve got to have my cup of coffee. I’ve got to have my cup of tea.”

And there can be addictions to alcohol. And who wants that? Because that can lead to terrible, terrible things.

Is It Possible for Christians to Be Addicted?

So first of all, is it possible? If you’re addicted to cigarettes or caffeine, does that prove you’re not really a Christian? I certainly don’t think so, and I don’t think there’s any biblical evidence of that.

Of course, cigarettes weren’t around back in Jesus’s day. Alcohol certainly was, and the Bible does warn that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). So, if you’re in that category, finding yourself overcome by, at times, drunkenness, you are in a very precarious position.

Now here’s the good news. Here’s the good news. We all believe as Christians that we have the Holy Spirit in us. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that you could ask or think, according to the power that works within us (see Ephesians 3:20-21).

The Power Within Us

“ As those who have the Holy Spirit, there is enough power within us to break any physical addiction.

So, obviously there’s enough power within us to break any physical addiction that we might have been suffering or struggling against. I would say there’s a starting point of faith.

I think that comes into play in our struggles against any form of sin or doing things that we don’t really want to do. To believe that Christ is the Liberator, if He can set people free from demons, powerful demons, people who are running through the tombs naked, cutting themselves with stones (see Mark 5:1-12).

We’re talking about the God of the universe who put the planets and the stars in their place. That’s the power that’s in us. And so, I would go to work on first of all building my faith that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (see Philippians 4:13).

Fasting to Break Some Physical Addictions

Now, I have had myself I think a mild addiction in past times to caffeine. Anytime I would fast, which is something I’ve talked about not too long ago on our Little Lessons, one of the first symptoms I’d have would be withdrawal from caffeine giving me a headache.

But I would recommend that you might also consider fasting. That’s not giving up water, but giving up food, denying yourself food, as a discipline. And also in conjunction with looking for deliverance from anything else that has got you. Any kind of physical addiction, right?

Because the desire for food can be pretty strong, as I told you when we discussed fasting. The more frequently you fast, the easier that it gets to fast. But the first time you fast, it can be really, really tough and miserable. You think you’re going to die.

To get past those addictions, putting your body in subjection to your will and fasting, denying it food, not denying it water, I believe could also be a helpful method in seeking to be delivered from these other physical addictions.

Deliverance From Addiction

I have seen people delivered from a lot of addictions over the years. I’m thinking of one guy right now who was delivered almost instantly from a cocaine addiction that had him for years.

If God can deliver you from a craving for cocaine, He’s obviously able to deliver you from anything. I’m very thankful for secular and Christian rehabs, where people go to find deliverance from this stuff. Because they work on other things besides the physical side, but also of the mental and emotional side.

Teen Challenge

I’m no expert on that, but the one that has, to my knowledge, the absolute best results is one called Teen Challenge, started by David Wilkerson years ago.

It’s a heavy, heavy discipleship program. Jesus is right smack in the middle of it. People aren’t sitting around watching TV all day at Teen Challenge. They’re involved in Bible study. They’re involved in prayer. And they’re involved in work and service, keeping their minds occupied and their hands busy and so forth.

They have a great rate of success. My understanding is, more so than the non-Christian rehabs. And you have to commit yourself there. They call them Teen Challenges, but it’s not just for teens. It started off that way, but older people go with addictions who just can’t find deliverance. They won’t take you if it’s smoking. They won’t take you if it’s caffeine, but if it’s drugs, that would be a good place to look to see if you could find help.

Encouraging Those Who Are Struggling

But to answer the original question (and this is a Little Lesson), we need to have mercy and compassion upon those who are struggling with these things, and be careful in condemning people who are struggling with these things. Let’s encourage them. Let’s pray for them. Let’s trust God together with them to find the deliverance they’re looking for. And let’s not even suggest that, “Oh, you must not be a Christian because you smoke cigarettes.”

I don’t think that’s right. I think that’s passing judgment. I don’t think you have any biblical warrant for that. When you look at the hearts of some of these good folks who struggle with these things, you know that they really would love to be free, and we just want to encourage them. So that’s what I’m doing today, all right? Thank you so much for joining me on this Little Lesson. God bless you.

The post Can True Christians Have Addictions? appeared first on David Servant.

Is it okay for Christians to watch R-rated movies? Today’s question comes from a viewer who wants to know what is and what is not appropriate for a Christian to be watching as far as movies are concerned.

And we might as well throw TV shows in there. They rate TV shows nowadays too, and they should.

The people who are rating them, obviously, have some criteria as to what is more or less offensive to potential viewers. We know that if there is vulgarity, then they give it a certain rating. It’s not for general audiences, not for young children. And if it’s got sexual content, the rating goes up to PG or PG-13. If the sexual content, or the violence and so forth, becomes even more graphic, you’re onto the R rating.

What Does the Bible Say About Watching R-Rated Movies?

We know that the scriptures don’t tell us anything about movie ratings. So we’re going to have to go by basic biblical principles here to try to answer this question. One scripture that comes to my mind, first off, is the fact that the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 19:14,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

That shows that God cares about what we’re meditating on, what we’re thinking.

Remember, He’s the one that invented our brains. He wants us to think and He knows what is best for us to think about and what is best not to think about. He knows what we’re thinking, so that is a realm of His domain which He has the right to legislate, because He’s God.

Giving Your Mind Over to Movies

So let’s not think that our thoughts belong purely to ourselves and we can do whatever we want in our brains. We need to be thinking about what is acceptable in God’s eyes for us to be dwelling upon. And of course, when you watch movies and TV shows, you’re giving your mind over to that story, over to those people, to plant thoughts there for a long time.

You say, “Well, what could be the harm in that?” Well, there can be great harm in that. Advertisers pay millions of dollars just for seconds of time, because they know they’re going to influence people and they’re going to change their behavior to buy things that they wouldn’t have otherwise bought.

So putting yourself into a movie theater for two hours, or in front of the TV for an hour or two, can have major ramifications on what you think. And then ultimately, on your behavior.

The moral slide across the world (but I’m most familiar with the United States) over the last few decades, I’m sure, has a lot to do with the fact that Hollywood has presented as normal things that God says are immoral. Even the heroes in the movies and TV shows are sexually immoral people. That’s become thought of as okay now. It can’t be wrong because the good guys are doing it!

What God Wants us to Be Thinking About

I’m thinking of a scripture that has a great bit to say about what we should be thinking. This is a great filter for us to be thinking about before we watch any movie, any TV show. Are you ready?

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever’s of good repute, if there’s any excellence, and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. – Philippians 4:8

Wow. So much for the movie ratings. That’s quite a rating right there!

Doesn’t the Bible Talk About Some Pretty Bad Things?

Now, I know what someone’s going to say. They’re going to say, “Well, you know, the Bible talks about some pretty bad things. David committed adultery with Bathsheba! And there’s wars, and killing, and violence in the Bible,” and so forth. “We’ve got people running around outside naked in the very first couple chapters of the Bible, right?”

But you’ve got to admit that there is a difference between reading a sentence in the Bible that says, “They were naked and not ashamed,” or, “David committed adultery with Bathsheba,” and watching a real filming that goes on for minutes or longer of two actual people, on a huge screen, engaged in some kind of sexual activity.

There is a difference, and this is also true with the violence and so forth. It’s so much more graphic when it’s in a movie or on a TV show than what you’re reading in the Bible. And, of course, the Bible always condemns immorality and sin. It doesn’t glorify it, like these movies and TV shows so often do.

Believing that God Wants What’s Best for Us

So those are things to think about before you decide what’s good to watch and what’s acceptable to watch and what the Lord would have you watch. And remember, the Lord loves us. He knows what’s best for us, and He wants us to be blessed. So we’ve got to take His directives when it comes to what we should be meditating on.

A great question that has been asked is, “Would you watch that movie or that TV show if Jesus were sitting there beside you?” And that is a great litmus test. But guess what? Jesus may not be sitting beside you, but He is in a sense. He’s in you, if you’re a believer, by the Holy Spirit! And Paul asked the question in 1 Corinthians 6:15, “Should I take the temple of the Holy Spirit and join it to a harlot, a prostitute?” Well, the answer, of course, is no! You would never do that to the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Shall we subject Jesus to watching this garbage on TV, and this garbage in a movie theater? Something to think about.

Beyond Movie Ratings

So I don’t think we should necessarily be all wrapped up in determining which ratings of movies are okay and not okay. I think that we should go by biblical criteria regarding what’s pure, what’s right, what edifies. And there are some great things to watch.

I like, personally myself, movies that are redemptive. Where something good happens to somebody that things weren’t going so good for, because they made a right decision. And that is inspiring to me, to follow a good example.

But I don’t want to watch stuff that God hates. And I don’t want to hear people take God’s name in vain.

I don’t want to be a part of supporting, financially, something that’s causing lots of people to stumble. Because we know that Jesus warned about lust in very strong terms. And who would deny the fact that the graphic sexuality in the media today isn’t fueling lust, and that it’s destroying lives and hurting a lot of people?

God loves us. That’s why He tells us these things and warns us against these things.

All right, I’m out of time. Thanks for joining me! God bless.

The post Is It Okay for Christians to Watch R-Rated Movies? appeared first on David Servant.

We’re going to keep on looking at some things that Jesus said in Matthew 5. There in the Sermon on the Mount, He has six statements where He says, “You have heard it was said,” or, “You have heard the ancients were told,” “but I say to you.”

Some folks skim over the surface of that and come to the conclusion that Jesus was altering the law. But as you look at it a little more closely, you see that He’s not altering the law. He’s bringing back His disciples to the standards that were always there in the law and in the original intent of the law of Moses. And our question today about lust and adultery revolves around that very thing.

Is Lust As Bad As Adultery?

Is lust as bad as adultery? Well, some folks say it is, because they read from Matthew 5 where Jesus said,

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – vv. 27-28

Again, Jesus didn’t say that lusting is just as bad as adultery. But He’s pointing out something here that is really the original intent of the law of Moses.

The Original Intent of the Law of Moses

In the law of Moses, when God said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” He didn’t mean—and forgive me for saying this—”Just make sure you don’t penetrate someone of the opposite sex with your sexual organ—men. Or vice versa—women. but anything right up until that point is okay.” That’s not what He meant, we all know that. Being involved in sexual activity with a member of the opposite sex to whom you are not committed in a covenant of marriage is wrong.

Anyone who has the crazy idea that it would be okay to go right up to the point of intercourse and actually not technically commit adultery, and that would be okay, is fooling themselves. Right? Right.

Jesus is just taking it all the way to its logical end. Adultery always begins with the thought of adultery, the desire of what we term lust. He wants us to cut that off, cut adultery off at its source. He wants us purged of all sexual immorality, not just including the actual act of intercourse, but everything that leads up to that.

Any kind of sexual activity with a member of the opposite sex to whom you are not married, all the way back to the very source of when the thought enters the mind. The lustful thought that if you yield to that, that it leads on to worse things.

Lust Is Not As Evil As Adultery

Is lust as evil as adultery? No, of course not. Jesus is giving this warning to prevent adultery by cutting it off in its very early stages of lust. That’s the kind of purity that He expected, not just under the law of Christ, but of course under the law of Moses.

We’re fooling ourselves here if we say, “Well, this is a new standard.” Oh, come on! This is not a new standard. This is implied in “Thou shall not commit adultery”. Don’t get anywhere close to even the beginnings of what leads to adultery.

Job had that figured out. He said,

I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? – Job 31:1

What is he talking about there? I have made a decision I’m not going to be mentally undressing the young women that I see.

Goodness, the Ten Commandments! Don’t covet. One of the things that God says not to covet is your neighbor’s wife. What’s that all about? That’s thoughts. That’s desires. That’s in your heart. That’s in your mind.

Why might you be coveting your neighbor’s wife? Well, come on, it’s pretty obvious. Lust is forbidden. This is not something new under the new covenant, it’s under the old covenant. That theme keeps on going as we read all of Jesus’, “You have heard it was said… but I say to you,” statements. It becomes very clear that this is not a new standard. That standard can be found in the law of Moses.

Practical Advice for Dealing with Lust

All right, so Jesus gives some very practical advice about what to do to obey Him in this. He says,

If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. – Matthew 5:29-30

He’s not literally saying—of course we know this—to pluck out your eye or cut off your hand. What He is saying is that lust is a damnable sin. The guy who’s full of lust and always lusting, maybe not acting on that lust and actually raping people or getting involved in adultery or fornication, is still guilty of immorality and it’s a damning sin.

Cut Off What Makes You Stumble

What do you do about it? Get rid of what it is that’s causing you to stumble!

Obviously, your eye can’t literally cause you to stumble, neither can your hand. And so we’re not literally cutting those things out. But there are things that can cause us to stumble. Get rid of those things! If it’s a place where you drive by every day and you see something that would cause you to stumble, stop driving by that way. If it’s a TV show that you watch and that causes you to stumble, stop watching that TV show. You might want to just stop watching TV altogether. Okay?

I travel an awful lot. I spend a lot of time in hotels. I just have made a covenant with myself: I don’t turn on the TV. Why? Because I’m by myself, got the channel flipper, I might be looking for something totally legitimate but see something that’s not legitimate and then be tempted. I cut it off. I’m not going to turn it on and allow myself to be tempted in that regard, following Jesus’ instructions to help me avoid lust or immorality.

That’s today’s Little Lesson. Thank you so much for joining me! God bless you.

The post Is Lust As Evil As Adultery? appeared first on David Servant.

I am a Christian. That means I’m a person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, and that makes Him a unique person of all history.

I believe He is still alive. I believe He’s seated at the right hand of God the Father. And one day all of us—you and me included—are going to have to stand before Him and give an account of our lives. Therefore I’m doing my best to try to obey what He said.

Obeying the One Who Loves You

But here’s the beautiful thing about being a Christian and endeavoring to follow Jesus. You know that He loves you and all of His commandments aren’t because He’s trying to steal your fun or ruin your life. His commandments are motivated from His love for you.

“ Jesus’ commandments are motivated from His love for you.

So when Jesus tells you to do something or not to do something, it’s not because He’s rubbing his hands up there in Heaven saying, “Oh, I just love making people miserable!” It’s because He loves us and He wants what is best for us.

And He is the one who thought of the idea of male and female. He’s the one who gave you your sexual desires. And He is the one who gave you a desire to be married to someone and enjoy the blessing of having one person who is your lifelong partner with whom you can raise a family and enjoy all the blessings that come with that.

So that relates to the topic that I want to discuss today. Should you engage in premarital sex? There’s a number of reasons why God says absolutely not. And if you do, this actually shows that you don’t believe in Jesus.

I didn’t say that believers in Jesus can’t be tempted. Or even fall. But they will feel so guilty and miserable if they do, because Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside them. And they’ll be strongly motivated within themselves to ask God’s forgiveness and repent and take steps to avoid stumbling into that sin once again.

Why God Forbids Premarital Sex

All right. So so why did God say don’t engage in premarital sex? Well, there’s a number of reasons that I can think of.

One would be, of course, that you’re taking a huge risk in harming yourself on many different levels physically, spiritually and emotionally as well.

Sex is designed by God to be a very sacred thing shared between two people who are committed to each other until death do they part. It’s not for casual relationships.

“ Sex is designed by God to be a very sacred thing shared between two people who are committed to each other for life. —DAVID SERVANT

Your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. You are created in the image of God. You’re not supposed to be hooking up sexually with anybody, except for someone you are committed to and who is committed to you.

Premarital Sex Could Lead to an Unexpected Pregnancy

And there’s reasons for that, of course, too, because there’s a chance that through sex—because this is part of what God designed it for—you’re going to create children.

And God loves children, and wants them raised in homes with moms and dads. It’s such a sin against children to engage in casual sex and produce children who aren’t born to a mom and a dad who are committed to death do they part to be a family.

So you’re taking a risk of hurting your child. You may say, “Well, we use birth control so we don’t worry about that.” Well, that’s a way around it, but not a guaranteed way around it, as so many people have unfortunately discovered.

Premarital Sex Could Result in a Sexually Transmitted Disease

You’re putting yourself at risk also of getting a sexually transmitted disease. And that can really wreak a lot of havoc in your life.

I’m not going to talk about this. I’m not a doctor. But Google “sexually transmitted diseases” and see what you can learn!

And this, I guess you could say, is a warning from God. A discouragement from God, “Don’t do this! My blessing—My approval—is not on this.”

Those are just some of the reasons. When you have sex with someone you’re not married to, you’re having sex with someone’s future husband or future wife. And if they were married, of course that would be a huge sin against that person and their spouse, because you’re not treating them like you want to be treated.

How Premarital Sex Hurts Your Future Spouse

And that’s just the most fundamental moral principle there is. Treat other people like you want to be treated. Do you want to marry someone who slept around with a lot of people casually? You know you don’t want to!

And if you knew your spouse had once lived like this, you would wonder how faithful this person was going to be after you got married. If this is how unfaithful they are before you get married—if this person can yield that easily to sexual temptation— is this the kind of person that you want to promise that you’re going to love you “till death do us part” and raise children with?

You see, you’re ruining credibility with your future spouse when you have premarital sex.

You say, “Well we’re engaged. We’re going to be married!”

Well, you aren’t married. You aren’t married and there is a chance that you may not get married. Because sometimes people who are engaged ultimately don’t get married. Sometimes they won’t show up for their own weddings.

So until the ring is on the finger and the vows have been made publicly in front of witnesses, only then can you be reasonably certain that you’ve got a pretty good promise going here from this person. And only then should you share what only they deserve: the blessing of a sexual relationship that is designed by God to glue you together, and to enhance your relationship in marvelous, marvelous ways, and to give you the chance to have children and all the blessings!

Premarital Sex is Like a Mild Form of Prostitution

So don’t sell yourself cheap. Premarital sex is really a mild form of prostitution. And on one level it could be considered even lower than prostitution, because you’re not even making any money as you cheaply give your body to somebody who doesn’t deserve it. And I’m talking to men and women.

Thanks for joining me on this Little Lesson. God bless you.

The post Should You Engage in Premarital Sex? appeared first on David Servant.