Turn the other cheek

Luke 6:29 (NLT)

“If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.”

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49) Jesus gave many commandments like the ones above that must have floored His listeners just like they floor us today.  Imagine being told to turn your other cheek, to give your shirt in addition to your coat, to love your enemies, to do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, to pray for those who mistreat you, to give and expect nothing in return, and to go the extra mile for anyone who asks?  Our human nature simply responds, “No way, Jose!”  

In fact, think about your whole life…….when have you followed these commandments?  When have you responded like this when someone has offended you or, worse, actually hurt you?  When have you gone the extra mile for someone?  When have you given without ever expecting something in return?  For readers who are non-believers or relatively new believers, your honest answers likely are “never”.  For readers who have been Christians for awhile and grown in Christ, you probably have one or more examples where you have followed these difficult teachings.  However, it is the very rare Christian who can honestly affirm that you have obeyed all of these commandments, that there are examples where you have turned your other cheek, where you have done good to others who you know hate you, and you have prayed and helped those who have cursed you. 

It takes time to mature as a Christian and it takes much prayer and a strong foundation in the Word to follow these commandments of our Lord.  We also need human examples whom we have witnessed exemplify these ultimate Christlike behaviors in everyday life.  Do you have such examples in your life?

I like what John Eldridge wrote in his book Wild at Heart that this passage does not apply to being bullied.  He told his 6-year old son who had been bullied by a bigger kid that the next time that kid acted like a bully that his son should hit him as hard as he could.  Why?  Because to turn the other cheek requires inner strength as an adult.  If a child allows people to bully him, he will never develop inner strength, he will never love himself, he will never be in a position where he can choose to turn his cheek rather than retaliate knowing that he could be superior.     

Jesus used these examples to contrast the Kingdom of God versus life on earth.  The Kingdom of God is vastly different than earthly behavior.  The Kingdom of God is filled with grace and mercy and love whereas life on earth is filled with lust and pride and selfishness. 

However, this does not mean that you are to ignore these commandments of Jesus.  Jesus concluded these statements in Matthew with the following charge in 5:48—“You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.  How?  You know you cannot be perfect.  Yet the word translated as perfect really means to be mature.  You cannot be flawless, but you can grow up, you can become complete in Christ, you can become who God meant you to be.  It’s a growing up process that you must participate in every day of the rest of your life.  Depending on Christ, through His Holy Spirit in you, will enable you to slowly but surely remove all of the imperfections of your life and fulfill His will for you.

Recovering from effects of sin

Psalm 119:25-40 (Message) (Some verses omitted)

I'm feeling terrible—I couldn't feel worse!   Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember?  My sad life's dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by Your Word.  I grasp and cling to whatever You tell me; God, don't let me down!   I'll run the course You lay out for me if You'll just show me how. God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.  Give me insight so I can do what You tell me—  my whole life one long, obedient response.  Guide me down the road of Your commandments; I love traveling this freeway!  Give me a bent for Your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot.  Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way.  Affirm Your promises to me— promises made to all who fear You. See how hungry I am for Your counsel; preserve my life through Your righteous ways!

 

Serious Bible students know that Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible (with Psalm 117 being the shortest and Psalm 118 being the middle chapter of the entire Bible).  The interesting distinguishing feature of Psalm 119 is that each of its 176 verses contain a word the references God’s Word, the Bible.  Typical words used in original translations (not paraphrases such as The Living Bible or the Message Bible) are law, testimonies, precepts, statues, commandments, judgments, word, and ordinances.  Also, Psalm 119 is divided into 22 stanzas each with 8 lines, with each stanza starting the successful letters of the Hebrew alphabet with each line in that stanza also beginning with the same letter.  Amazing!

Anyone who has felt guilty because committed or omitted sin in your life can read these words and feel immediate relief.  God’s Word—the Bible—and these specific words found in Psalm 119:25-40 offer the reader hope to recover from the devastating effects of sin.  Note the pleas of the psalmist and the promises---

·  Get me on my feet again

·  Build me up again

·  Don’t let me down

·  Just show me how

·  Teach me lessons for living

·  Give me insight

·  Guide me

·  Give me a bent for Your words

·  Divert my eyes

·  Invigorate me

·  Affirm Your promises

·  Preserve my life

Note also how many times the psalmist refers to the name of God to help him recover; I count at least 14 times where God is implored to help.  It is God through His Word that can enable you to overcome any sin in your life.  Use any or all of these phrases in your prayers to God to help you plus you will feel an immediate sense of relief and peace.

Psalm 119:37 speaks of your eyes turning away from toys and trinkets.  The original Hebrew word that is translated toys and trinkets actually means worthless, vain, or false things that your eyes should not focus on.  What might these be in your life?  Is pornography or nudity, or riches, or dishonest gain, or selfish interests something that your eyes focus on?  You must turn away from these worthless, no good, and deceitful things.  If you don’t, you are leading yourself to eternal destruction. 

Do you have a “bent” for the Word of God?  The Hebrew word means to incline or “stretch forth” toward something.  You know deep in your heart if God’s Word interests you or not.  If it does not, pray as the psalmist prays that the Lord will help you to be more enthusiastic and interested in learning and applying His Word.  Just try reading Psalm 119 several times and see if the Lord does not enable His Word to sink deep within you.  May you see clearly what His Word will do to help you improve your life and become someone of whom the Lord will someday say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

The right to become a child of God

John 1:12 (NIV)

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

Bill Glass was an All-American football player (lineman) for Baylor in the 1950s, then became an all-pro defensive end for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns for 11 years.  While with the Browns, Bill studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  After football he launched a new career as a Christian evangelist (his ministry now called “Champions for Life") and was a frequent speaker at the Billy Graham crusades.  He is still a sought-after motivational speaker.

I heard Mr. Glass speak years ago and will always remember him preaching about his life’s verse---John 1:12.  Up until then and even today, I have never heard anyone else claim John 1:12 as their life’s verse.  Being led by God to be an evangelist, Mr. Glass focused on this wonderful yet very simple promise that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is given the right become a child of God.  It was his life’s mission to lead unbelievers to Christ and this was the verse on which he based his life and ministry. 

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you must believe in Him.  Note that the Bible does not state “believe Him”, but believe in Him.  That preposition provides the imagery of action, of moving toward, of making a proactive decision.  To believe Him has a shallowness or superficial meaning while to believe in Him requires greater depth of intent and definite personal action.     

The word “right” (exousia) can also mean "power" or "authority."  It is not a legal term, but conveys the imagery of a person becoming person of power because of his/her belief in Christ.  Christ does not make you a child of God, but He does give you the power to become a child of God.   

Have you ever looked upon a crowd of people and thought of them as children of God?  Of course, you don’t know who is or is not a true child of God, but having this thought makes people more acceptable and personal.  This thought gives me a deeper feeling of love and caring for others than I would have if I didn’t think of them as children of God.  On the other hand, it saddens me greatly to look upon a crowd of people and realize that God is not everyone’s Father and Jesus is not their Savior and they are lost.   

Again, God gives you the right or power to become His child, it does not come from your own power.  However, it is up to you to receive this power from God and you receive this power through your receptivity to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Plus think about what it really means to be a child of God.  A child is an heir to his/her father’s estate.  All that belongs to God now belongs to you (read II Corinthians 2:12).  Affix this thought always in your mind—“I am a child of God, now and forever”.  What amazing grace!

However, if you are reading this and know that you are not a child of God, what are you?  You are a slave to sin (Romans 6:6, 16, 20).  You are not an heir.  You are judged to be an unbeliever (John 3:18) and face final judgment (Revelation 20:12-15).   Yet this does not need to describe you, all you need to do is to receive Christ as your Savior and believe in Him.  Please pray about this, talk to a believer whom you trust, and make a life-changing decision that will affect not only the rest of your life on earth, but also your life for eternity.

God freely gives you all things

Romans 8:32 (NASB)

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 

The following is one of my favorite illustrations about the love of God, given by perhaps my all time favorite preacher (I was not a member of his church), the late Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN.

Suppose I approached you and told you that I wish to give you my son.  Not only am I willing to give you my son, but also I am willing to let you do anything you would like to do with my son, including mistreating him, hurting him, and eventually killing him.  Now, if I am willing to allow you to do all this to my son and then you ask me if you could have his toys and games and all other possessions, do you think that I would say “no” to you?  If I am willing to give my son to you and let you do whatever you wish with him, I am also willing to give you everything that is his. 

If God was willing to give His Son to be delivered to death for our sins, He is willing to give us everything else that belongs to His Son.  And what belongs to His Son?  Everything!  Read Colossians 1:16.  What “things” is Paul referring to?  In an earlier verse he wrote that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…..” (Romans 8:28).  Later he wrote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).  The Greek word for “things” is ‘pas’ in these verses and means ‘everything”.  In other words, there is nothing that God cannot give you, there is nothing that God cannot work through, there is nothing through or with which God cannot help you.

I heard a sermon many years ago where the preacher said that the three greatest needs all humans have are the needs of being, belonging, and becoming.  “Being” includes physical, emotional and spiritual health.  “Belonging” includes acceptance, security, community.  “Becoming” includes purpose, activity, and having goals.  All these “things” God will give to you because He has first given you His Son. 

Indeed, the number greatest need every human being was created to have is the need to have a relationship with his/her Creator.  God established that relationship in the beginning, but the sin of Adam and Eve broke it.  God re-established that relationship through the cross of Christ.  He “delivered Him up for us all” and now will freely give you whatever you need (not want) to have the quality of life God created you to have. 

Steve Green wrote and sang a most beautiful song, “People Need The Lord”.  Read and think over the words of his song (better yet, find the lyrics and enjoy this beautiful song with such a powerful message) and pray over the “things” that you need (again note that it’s not your wants, but your needs) from God through Jesus Christ.     

Everyday they pass me by, I can see it in their eyes. Empty people filled with care, Headed who knows where? On they go through private pain, Living fear to fear.  Laughter hides their silent cries, Only Jesus hears.

People need the Lord, people need the Lord.  At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door. People need the Lord, people need the Lord.  When will we realize, people need the Lord?

We are called to take His light to a world where wrong seems right.What could be too great a cost for sharing Life with one who's lost? Through His love our hearts can feel all the grief they bear.They must hear the Words of Life only we can share.

   People need the Lord, people need the Lord.  At the end of broken dreams, He's the open

   door.  People need the Lord, people need the Lord.  When will we realize that we must 

   give our lives for people need the Lord.  People need the Lord.