Live the Gospel

“But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions . ..”2 Timothy 3:10, 11

Yesterday I heard a young person say it is a shame about a particular politician that had been preaching in the political arena the fidelity in marriage, and lambasting others for their infidelity, especially that politicians rivals. All the while this politician, himself, was involved in an extramarital affair. We was not walking his talk.

Here in Paul’s letter to Timothy, we hear Paul say that he was indeed living the Gospel life. The example he set is in concert with his message. Matthew Henry comments:

The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it; the reason why many sit loose to it is because they do not fully know it. His manner of life was of a piece with his doctrine and did not contradict it He did not pull down by his living what he build up by his preaching. Timothy fully knew Paul’s good character, which he might gather from his doctrine, manner of life and purpose; for he gave proofs of his faith (that is, of his integrity and fidelity or his faith in Christ, his faith concerning another world by which Paul lived), his long-suffering toward the churches to which he reached and presided over, his charity towards all men, and his patience. These were the graces that Paul was eminent for, and Timothy knew it. He knew that he had suffered ill for doing well.

G-d’s grace is always sufficient. Paul hand many persecutions (Acts 13:49, 14:1-6, 19), but the Lord delivered him out of them all. . . He tells Timothy, “Let it be no surprise to you if suffer hard things, it is no more than I have endured before.”

Point One: “The more fully we know the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, the more closely we shall cleave to it.” There are actually churches today advocating the Buddhist and New Age practice of meditation. No, not meditating of the Word of G-d, but clearing our minds so that we can become enlightened. Nowhere does the Bible say that’s an approved method of prayer. In fact, there are many, myself included, that believe meditation is demonic, and brings demonic influences into the meditator’s life. So we are not going to go out into a field and absorb the good vibrations of nature, thus being transformed into a holy vessel. No! What we are going to do is to study the written Word of G-d often enough that it is infused into our being. It is through study of the Word that the Spirit will find easiest access to speak with us, and that the Lord will find to change us.

Point Two: Pauls manner of life were “ proofs of his faith.” We become more like Y’shua the more we spend time with Him. We spend time with Him in prayer, in study, in our fascination of Him—adoring Him. The proof of the faith we express, is the manner of our lives. It is the manner of our lives that bring us to. . .

Point Three: “Let it be no surprise to you if suffer hard things, it is no more than I have endured before.” Y’shuaJesus, our Lord, our Saviour, suffered during his Earthly tour of humanity. Paul suffered as he lived Gospel life. And so shall we suffer. Paul mentions it to Timothy that it come as no surprise. And it would already be know by Timothy anyway. So perhaps it is written to Timothy so that we shall hear this message, that suffering for living the Good Life come as no surprise, either.

Lord, enable us in this knowing of Your Gospel that we might “cleave to it.” Grant us grace in our living and in our suffering. Be glorified in our lives. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine.

From some turn away

“. . .from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5

As we’ve seen, sins must be purged that we may become gold and silver vessels for use by the Master. Here in the third chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy about some very unsavory people. He lists them as “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

These now are things other that sin that affect our lives. And now we hear Paul tells Timothy, and us, to turn away.

Previously, Paul had written about people within the church that, through teaching with patience and instruction with meekness, “might recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Timothy (2:24-26) I believe the people of chapter three that Paul wrote about, the people from whom we are to turn away, are not people within our Lord’s Church. They may enter a congregation, a church, but their names are not written in the Book of Life; they are not true-born believers in Messiah, Lord, Y’shuaJesus. They are of reprobate mind. They will not receive teaching or instruction in the Truth. Their future is only doom and gloom. We are to turn from them; for their aim, whether or not they intend it to be so, is to bring us closer to doom and gloom ourselves, should it be possible.

So isn’t turning from people because we think they are doing wrong things unkind of us? Isn’t it unloving? Aren’t we guilty of that which we accuse others, of self-love, perhaps, for wanting to not be around them because we are too good, too holy? Have you ever been told that something you do isn’t what the Bible teaches? And told by someone who hasn’t read, let alone accepted, the Bible and its Author. The perilous times aren’t perilous for those committing acts of evil, but for us, the People of G-d. We will be accused. We will be the ones doing wrong. And Paul tells this to Timothy. He tells this to us, also.

Lord help us know Yours. Help us know for whom we are to instruct and pray, and from whom we are to turn away. Give us the strength so to do. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Purge from these

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

Paul wrote these words while a prisoner in Rome, to Timothy. He seems to say that there are in the church vessels of gold and silver, as well as vessels wood and of earth. Vessels of gold and silver. The good guys and gals. The true-born believers. The honourable vessels. Then there are the vessels of wood and earth. Worldly men and women within the church. Dishonourable vessels or people. So what is Paul saying here? Is he telling Timothy to purge dishonourable men and women from the church?

There are many occasions when I’m concerned about how easily the Word of G-d might be misunderstood, even misused, by others. Mostly, though, I’m very concerned how I may misunderstand and misuse a particular passage. It goes back to “rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” It’s not just about immediate context and initial readings; it’s about stepping away for the passage to view the the entire chapter and perhaps even a view of the entire book (or letter). Consideration must be made even to the entire breadth of G-d’s Word. Because G-d doesn’t contradict Himself, He provides guidance and support for each individual passage in other places. Make sense?

Okay. Back to purging. I quoted one scripture. I began to write about this scripture. If you were not prayed up and fasted up, not discerning, couldn’t I perhaps have led you to believe Paul was telling Timothy to purge people that aren’t rigtheous, like us, from among the true people of G-d? May G-d forbid me to do such a thing. May G-d give you the discernment that keeps you following in the footsteps of Messiah, even if it means to Golgotha, to the hill, to the cross.

So look here. Early in the chapter, in verse 19, Paul states: “Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity.” And in verse 16, “But shun profane and vain babblings. . .” And back in the beginning of the Chapter, Paul wrote: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

So now, from what or from whom are we purging ourselves? What are “these” of verse 21? Are they not the things that entangle, vain discourse anb babblings, iniquity? I’m pretty sure that’s what “these” are.

And if we purge ourselves of entanglements, vain babblings, iniquity, we shall be vessels of gold and silver, of honour.*

Lord, grant us Your peace, and enable us to be unstained by this world in which we live, for we are of You. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

* I like the English spelling of Saviour, too. It contains “our” not “or.” The Lord Y’shuaJesus is our Saviour.

The Lord Knows His Own

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2Timothy 2:19

The Lord knows His own. Like the true Shepherd that He is, He knows each one of us, and we have a seal. Yet do we know one another? How can be be sure the person to whom we speak is a true-born believer in the Lord Y’shuaJesus?

It’s a valid question, especially today with deception seeming lurking at our own house. A few years ago I spent the weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’d hauled a load of heavy equipment into the city, unloading on Friday, but had to wait until Monday to get another load going out. So on Sunday I went to a small, non-denominational church that was a short walk from the truck stop. It seemed nice inside, though it was what we call a store-front church, located in a shopping center. The service began with praise songs intended to lead toward worship. Before worship approached, the pastor began his talk. And toward the end of the sermon, I realized that there was something missing. Not once in the praise songs was the Name of Jesus spoken. Not once during the sermon was the Name of Jesus spoken. I think Y’shuaJesus had been left out of this church.

On the other hand, I’ve met people that seemed to radiate a Spiritual warmth. Their eyes light up, and they easily speak of The Lord. Occasionally I hear people say, “Have a blessed day.” I think it’s code for G-d Bless you. [which increasingly is becoming a sort of taboo in these United States of America. While we say we have freedom of speech, hard won and maintained for two hundred years, over the last few years political correctness has taken a heavy toll on our liberties.] Once, many years ago, I met a pastor I just knew was a great general in the Lord’s Army. There was something about him. Perhaps it was the way the Lord had sealed him that it just exuded The Spirit.

If you watch a sporting event, there is an announcer that gives the names of the players. There are often programs with players’ names and numbers listed. But we, as Christians, don’t have a program to look at in which the names of The Sealed of G-d are listed. As I pondered this all earlier today, I recalled a song from my days with Calvary Chapel in Susanville, California. One line of the song is, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

There must, therefore, be a unique form of love expressed only by those who are true-born believers, sealed by The Lord Y’shuaJesus. Let us apprehend this love. Let us express this love. Let us be known as disciples of the One Lord, Savior, Y’shuaJesus, by this love.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Show Yourself Approved

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15

Show yourself approved. We show ourselves this in our work. We study that we might rightly divide the word of truth, that our work is appropriate, correct. Approved unto G-d. Workmen that are unskillful or unfaithful or lazy have need to be ashamed. An what is their work? To divide the word of truth. Not to invent a new gospel, but rightly to divide the gospel that is committed to their trust. The author of it is the G-d of truth. It requires great wisdom, study, and care to divide this work of truth rightly. Timothy must study in order to do this well.
–Matthew Henry

This is how we show ourselves approved or acceptable in our work of rightly dividing the word. This study doesn’t make us saints; it doesn’t provide salvation. Y’shuaJesus died on the cross that we may have life, abundant life, and eternal life with G-d. And while we wait for Y’shuaJesus to bring us to Him, or to return to Earth, our work is our study of the truth. We show ourselves approved by doing this work right.

Once, long ago, three men sat on a train bound for Darjeeling. One, a pastor, began to explain some things to a German fellow named Jurgen. He went on an on and on. The third man, an American pastor, teacher, part-time evangelist, sat quietly trying not to get involved, not wanting to be rude. After all, it isn’t nice to contradict a pastor in public. Finally, something that the pastor that was speaking said struck this American. “No,” he cried out. And then he spoke the truth to these men.

We study the work and in becomes part of us. When the time comes, the word comes out through our words, our actions, who we are. The Spirit at work within us, transforming us into the saints that we became when we placed our faith in Y’shuaJesus, when we turned from our former lives to the truth.

Now let us be clear. We are being transformed. We have not yet arrived. One day we will. What a glorious day that will be. For on that day we will see Y’shuaJesus face to face. This is our hope. This is what gives our lives meaning. Come, Lord, Come! Maranatha! Praise the Name of the Lord.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Study the Bible

: Image by waɪ.tiː via Flickr

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Study.On the wall of the Palo Alto High School Main Library are bold signs: SQ3R.

SQ3R is a mnemonic device (memory helper) for a study method that has been used in education since the mid-1940s. Each letter stands for the first letter of a word (there are three “R” words). Here is the translation:

Survey (or scan) the material (homework or job-related work), looking for the most important points and the basic flow of the content — or just the headings.
Question — Write down several questions as if you were a teacher preparing a test for someone else.
Read the material, looking for the answers to the questions you wrote down. (Don’t underline.)
Recite — Write down the answers.
Review — Check the answers against the material.

This description of a method of study is taken from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation website. I want to adapt it to our study of the Bible. I will add a “P” before the “S.” This “P” is for pray. The Lord is with us; His Spirit resides within us. Yet we pray as we begin our study of His Word. Our pray is like greeting our teacher before class. We greet our Lord in an attitude of praise for His deeds and worship of Who He is. We commune with our Lord. We “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Now we open our Bible. Perhaps we continue from a previous reading, or we find ourselves led to a different place, a Psalm perhaps. We “survey” the material. Perhaps we don’t really know how much we will read. But we scan through a few paragraphs or a few pages looking for at headings. Anything pop out at us? Does a question form for which we will want to discover the answer?

As a bit of an aside, let me say that there are times when I read a chapter that I don’t want the chapter headings or sub-headings to interfere with what I read. I want to delve into the Word without preconceived notions of what the Word is going to say. And that’s okay, too.

The initial reading, or survey, should bring about some things that we want to know more about. We then jot down some thoughts, questions that arise. Then we actually read, looking for answers. It is during this reading of the scriptures that we can also read comments if we have a Bible that has comments. We can look at places that are referred, usually notes in the margins.

Now is the time we make our own notes in the margins, jotting down our own thoughts to go along with the questions. Hank Hanegraaff, who hosts a radio show on the Bible, promoted a Legacy Bible in which extra room was provided to make notes. These Bibles were intended to be handed down to our children so that they might see what we saw. It is a way to fulfill the command to teach our children: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” Deut 4:9.

Finally we must review. I really think this is conducted throughout the day. We review in our minds what we’ve read. We can return to the pages of our Bible later in the day, looking over the notes. We can reflect upon the Word that is sinks deeply into our soul. It becomes part of our life. It comes out of us in our actions. “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:24, 25.

As Hank Hanegraaff often exhorts us, let us study the Bible for all its worth.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

The Cure for Anything is Salt Water–

A Psalm of David.
“LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.” Psalm 141:1-10

It was Isak Dinison that said, “The cure for anything is salt water—tears, sweat, sea.” And I like this saying very much. Tears can be sweet. No sweat, no gain, throws a spin on the saying “No Pain, No Gain!” And of course the sea offers an uncontrolled environment, solitude, and the feeling of escape.

I might also add wind to the things that cure, if I didn’t know better. I think of the feeling of the wind in my face as it comes over the handlebars of a motorcycle, or through the window of an eighteen-wheel truck heading across the country. And, of course, there’s the wind as it moves across a sail, pressing the boat forward.

Alas, we know that these are only temporal cures, not really cures at all. The also fade quickly. We who are destined to be saints with our Lord Y’shuaJesus have an eternal cure. We have hope. We seek eternal cures not in salt or wind, but in the Kingdom of G-d. “Seek First the Kingdom of G-d! We continually seek the Lord’s Kingdom. He will come. We wait. He will collect us uo. And in this time of waiting, we mature, we grow up in Messiah. And, yes, we enjoy salt water and the wind, all given to us by our Lord.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Who’s the Deceiver

“Amid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. We are branded] as deceivers impostors, and yet vindicated as truthful and honest.” 2Co 6:8

“For there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle vain, empty and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. This is true especially of those of the circumcision party who have come over from Judaism.” Tit 1:10

“For many imposters seducers, deceivers, and false leaders have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge confess, admit the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah in bodily form. Such a one is the imposter the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ and the antichrist.” 2Jn 1:7

Here in America, shortwave radio isn’t too popular. While many cars in other parts of the world are able to receive shortwave broadcasts, most cars in America only receive “AM” and “FM” bands. There are a lot of good broadcasts on shortwave, too. There is a shortwave broadcast around 9 MHz that I listened to the other day on my ham radio that I’m not too sure is good, however.

The “pastor” spoke about deception. He called Mr. Scofield and Mr. Ryrie liars and deceivers. He quoted from Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” He then “explained” how the Mr. Ryrie in the Ryrie Study Bible mistranslated a word from the Greek, and that he used that to say that Baptism wasn’t necessary for the remission or rolling back of sin. This “pastor” then quoted Mr. Ryrie as saying: “[the word] for [in the scripture] may here mean “because of,” as in Matthew 12:24.” Again this “pastor” called Mr. Ryrie a liar.

This “pastor” spoke about the false belief that we need not be baptised to remove our sins. He spoke about Christian sects that believe that way, and that it is so wrong. He said baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.

Okay, so I got home in the afternoon and dug out my Ryrie Study Bible to have a look. The complete comment on Acts 2:38 is as follows:

Repent. To change one’s mind; specifically, here, about Jesus of Nazareth, and to acknowledge Him as Lord (= G-d) and Christ (=Messiah). Such repentance brings salvation. There is also a repentance needed in the Christian life in relation to specific sins (2 Cor. 7:9; Rev. 2.5). be baptised. . . for the forgiveness of sins On baptism see note on Matt. 3:11. Water baptism is the outward sign of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is through faith in Christ, not through the act of baptism (for may here mean “because of,”. . .

So, this “pastor” crying out about deception and liars took a small piece of Mr. Ryrie’s comment on Acts 2:38 to run off about. What I hear happening is this: Tear down the work of such people as Mr. Scofield and Mr. Ryrie and substitute a dependence upon themselves for the “correct” interpretation of the scriptures. This, I believe, is happening all over today. Little by little, earlier work is being denigrated, maligned, abused. Eventually these pastors and leaders and teachers gain a foothold in the minds of G-d’s people and will lead them astray. Y’shuaJesus said this was going to happen. And so it is.

What I “hear” Mr. Ryrie saying is that we are forgiven by Lord Y’shua and this is a work within us; We then outwardly display our faith and forgiveness through baptism. Don’t you see the difference?

Let us beware. Let us take all things in devout prayer to our only Savior, our Lord Y’shuaJesus. Let us be gentle yet also wise. Let us investigate what we hear, what we read, what we are encouraged to believe. If we were to be asked by our Lord, “Why did you. . .” What would we reply. Would we say, “Well, the pastor said this was the truth.” Would Y’shua just say, “Oh, sure, okay, no problem.” If we are questioned, we must be able to give answers based upon what we believe, and what we believe must come from our faith, and our faith must come from our Lord.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

I am not Subject to Disappointment–Celtic Vow of Friendship part seven

“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:3 ESV)

This week we’ll explore the final vow of the Celtic Vow of Friendship we’ve been looking into these past few weeks. The scripture for today sets the stage for this exploration. We’re familiar with the setting. Our Lord has died, resurrected, and is about to again appear to His disciples. Peter has set out to go fishing. Is he still beating himself up over his denial of Messiah? Is he feeling useless in ministry, unsure how to proceed? His Lord is dead. He denied Him. So he goes back to work doing what he knows how to do.

As an aside, I noticed something in this scripture: “but that night they caught nothing.” It just isn’t going to work. Peter had chosen to follow Y’shuaJesus, and isn’t going to be let of the hook so easily. Feeling sorry for himself or not, feeling guilty or not, Y’shuaJesus called him and that is the only way he’s going to be allowed to go.

Notice how Y’shua approaches Peter and the others. “ ‘Children, do you have any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.” (John 21:5-6 ESV)

How awesome is our G-d! How wonderful is our true Friend! Y’shuaJesus is not subject to disappointment. Rather he simply asks Peter and the others if their work is actually working. Then he tells them how to accomplish that work.

In the Celtic vow “I am not subject to disappointment,” notice that it doesn’t merely say “I am not disappointed.” Being subject to disappointment is like being held captive, hostage, to disappointment. Disappointment is a condition of feeling disappointed. If I am subject to a condition of feeling disappointed, I’ll always feel disappointed. It isn’t just about being disappointed in something that has occurred, it is a mindset of being disappointed in future interactions. Y’shuaJesus is not subject to this condition. And neither ought we be held hostage to feelings. We have elements of inhumanity within us, a condition of the “fall.” So we acknowledge improper feelings, confessing them, and then we need get over them before we approach our friends, and even our enemies.

Look at what comes next in what some consider Peter’s restoration, Y’shuaJesus calls the disciples to breakfast. How marvelous. No recrimination. Just an offer of a meal. After the meal Y’shuaJesus asks Peter if he loves Him more than these. These? These men, friends of SimonPeter? These fish, the boats, the gear? Perhaps both the men and the fishing industry to which they’d returned. Peter says yes, he loves the Lord. Three times this occurs and each time Y’shua’s response is to get going, do the work prepared for him: Feed Y’shuaJesus’s sheep.

Father G-d, You redeemed us by the sacrifice of Your Son Y’shuaJesus, we have been purchased to do Your will by the power of Your Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Just as You have put aside our failures, and accepted us, enable us to not be subject to disappointment in our relations with others. In the Name of Y’shuaJesus. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

I will not Negotiate by Withholding–Celtic Vow of Friendship part six

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV)

Continuing with another vow from a Celtic Vow of Friendship, “I will no Negotiate by Withholding.” Let’s start with negotiate, defined as (1) to transact business; to treat with another respecting purchase and sale; to hold intercourse in bargaining or trade, either in person or by a broker or substitute; as, to negotiate with a man for the purchase of goods or a farm; and (2) to hold intercourse with another respecting a treaty, league, or convention; to treat with respecting peace or commerce.

So negotiate is to talk, discuss, agree, confer, and bargain; it is also to get past, which is cope with or deal with.

In order to dwell together peacefully and have the G-d of love and peace with us, Paul wrote: “Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another. . .” (2Cor 13:11)

In a friendship, we must agree with each other. If I look at another more highly than myself, then I respect his or her desires. This might require getting past some of my own cherished outcomes, as we looked at last week. Perhaps I don’t want to give up a particular desire, rather I want another to agree with me, to get past his or her own desires. We negotiate, whether in the open or clandestine.

This might be openly displayed in the discourse of a parent trying to coerce a child to do what he or she wants. “If you don’t (do this or that) then (this or that will occur),” might be said. Friends negotiate by taking turns doing things together, each having his or her choice recognized.

Another, more clandestine, way to sway another into agreeing with me is by emotional and physical withholding. It is a refusal to give, to hold back, or to deny. This is done in marriages, addressed by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.” (1 Corinthians 7:3 ESV)

We can withhold affection outside of marriage too. We can withdraw emotionally from a friend when we disagree, rather than attempting to agree, even if it means agreeing that there is a disagreement. In this case, I think it means that each acknowledges the other’s right to hold a particular opinion, and that the friendship can continue without one having to relinquish his or her position.
Consider, now, another aspect of withholding that is done simply to agree with a person. We can withhold our beliefs and truth simply to make peace. Y’shuaJesus warned us that “. . . whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:33 ESV) We are taught to “. . . put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25 ESV)

This vow of friendship, with its Biblical roots, helps us consider wisely our ways as we participate socially with both saved and unsaved people. We are encouraged to not withhold ourselves to simply get our way, and not to withhold our selves in fear of upsetting some illusive peace.

Lord, help us be discerning in our speech and actions, always mindful to glorify You in our human relations. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .