Tag: become

Ephesians 5:7 – Saved? Really?

Posted on by Will

Therefore do not become partakers with them.

Truth to Learn

You can’t be a child of God and still live like the Devil.

 

Behind the Words

The word “become” is translated from the Greek verb ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to become.”

“Partakers” is from summetochos, which is a double compound word. It is composed of sun, meaning “together” (which we see in English as the prefix “syn”), meta, meaning “with,” and echo, meaning “to have.” Thus, summetochos literally means “having together with,” that is, sharing or partaking of something together with others.

 

Meaning Explained

It is interesting to note that Paul does not say “Quit being fellow partakers with them.” Instead he says, “Don’t begin to be fellow partakers with them.” Don’t even start down that road! Paul has been talking about those who are teaching that it’s okay for Christians to indulge in sinful sexual practices. These false teachers believed that since all of our sins have been forgiven, we can indulge ourselves in our sinful desires and God’s grace will cover it all. In effect, they saw salvation as a “get out of Hell free” card. They decided they wanted the best of both worlds – the indulgence of all pleasurable things, no matter what God might think of them, along with eternity in the presence of the God who saved them.

Now, many of us can think of people we’ve known who lived a life of committed Christian service for years and then turned away from God. They left the church and are now living a life of sinful indulgence. “What about them?” you might ask. “Are they still saved?” To that question I have two scripture passages to quote. The first is:

For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (1Corinthians 11:30)

Paul said this in reference to communion. Basically, he said that any Christian who partakes of communion while he or she is living in blatant sin is subject to God’s judgment of sickness or even death. The other verse that comes to mind is,

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and and its lust; but he who is doing the will of God abides forever. … They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they left that it might be revealed, that none of them were of us. (1John 2:16, 17, 19)

There are people who have professed the name of Christ, who have learned how to act like a Christian, knowing all the right things to say, who never really got saved. They never really submitted themselves to God, and they have since left the church because they are not one of God’s children. They may have even been teachers in the church, perhaps even claiming that you can be a Christian and still live in sin. They may even still think themselves to be saved, but they will be horribly surprised when they appear before their God, their Judge!

 

Application

Instead of worrying about whether or not a former church member is saved (or whether that person “lost” their salvation), let’s focus on our own relationship with God. Does it bother you when you sin against God? If so, that’s good. Or can you sin without it bothering you? Are you sure?!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:1 – Imitators, Not Actors

Posted on by Will

Then become imitators of God as beloved children.

Truth to Learn

We need to live the part that God has given us.

 

Behind the Words

“Then” is translated from oun, which indicates a connection of two thoughts, sometimes indicating an affect from the previous thought, but often just a link between the two. It is sometimes translated as “Therefore” and sometimes as “Then.” I believe the best translation in this case is “Then.”

“Become” is the command form of ginomai, which we saw in yesterday’s verse. It means “become.” The implication is that we are not simply to stay the same, we are to move forward and actively become more like our loving God.

The word translated “imitators” is mimētēs, from which we get our English word “mimic,” meaning “to imitate or copy in action and speech.”

 “Beloved” is translated from agapētos, which is based on the verb agapaō, meaning “to love with a perfect, self-sacrificing love.” Agapētos refers to someone who is loved with that kind of love. All Christians are loved by God with this perfect, self-sacrificing love.

 

Meaning Explained

Nearly everyone has someone to whom they look with respect and admiration, in many cases wishing they could be just like them. Some people go so far as to imitate the clothing style of the one they admire, combing their hair the same way, and even talking like their idol. In fact, there are those who go to the extreme, having plastic surgery so that they even physically resemble the one whom they revere so much. Sort of crazy, huh? The Apostle Paul tells us that being imitators is a good thing, as long as the one we’re imitating is God.

In chapter four of this letter to the Christians in the church of Ephesus, Paul instructed them (and us) to take off the old man and put on the new man. In effect, he told us to quit behaving like our sin nature and begin behaving like our new nature. He even went so far as to instruct us in some of the characteristics of the old man (things we are to avoid) and some of the characteristics of the new man (things we are to do). Now, he gives us some practical insight into how we can put on the new man.

We’ve all seen an actor who, even though we know his or her real identity, portrays a character so completely that we perceive the character they’re playing rather than the actor. And, when we think of that actor, we often think of him or her as one of the characters they have portrayed. In reality, however, we all know that they are just acting like someone else; they’re not really the character they imitate. The Greek word for a professional actor is hupokritēs (hypocrite), indicating someone who is acting in a role that is not who he or she really is.

Unlike professional actors, we need to become more than just pretenders. God doesn’t want us to be hypocrites and just pretend that we’re His children. We are His children! And He wants us to live like His children are supposed to live. While professional actors portray the character on the outside, we need to become the character on the inside.

 

Application

“I don’t want to be a phony, acting like someone I’m not,” you may say. Well, you don’t have to. If you are a born-again Christian, then you are a child of God. By learning how to think and behave like a child of God you become the new character that God has made you to be. If you learn the part well enough, others will see God in you. Now, that’s something to think about!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:1 – Responsible Teaching

Posted on by Will

My brothers, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment.

Truth to Learn

Within the church, teaching carries a great responsibility and a greater judgment (good or bad) for those who teach.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “let … become” is ginomai, which means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” The use of the word here is in the present tense and imperative mood (command). Therefore, it could be translated as “stop becoming many teachers.”

“Teachers,” or “masters” in some Bibles, is translated from the Greek word didaskalos, which means “one who teaches or instructs.” It seems that there were many people in the early church who wanted to be looked up to as teachers.

The word “judgment” is translated from krima. This is derived from the verb krinō, literally meaning “to separate.” In the New Testament it means “to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case.” The noun form, used in this verse, refers to the resultant judgment that is handed down. It can refer to either a judgment of approval or a judgment of condemnation.

Meaning Explained

James has just finished talking about the works which are the evidence of faith. Now he’s going to talk about the works performed by those who teach within the church. In this particular verse he is cautioning church members not to all desire the position of teacher. In 1 John 2:16 the apostle John talks about the three types of lusts; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. This third one, the pride of life, is that desire within each of us to attain greatness and fame. Unfortunately, because the church is made up of sinful humans, this pride of life occasionally shows its ugly face within the church as well. Within the body of Christ each one of us has a function to perform. In 1Corinthians chapter twelve, the apostle Paul says that we are one body with many members, each one with a specific purpose. We can’t all be eyes, we can’t all be feet, and we can’t all be teachers.

Even though teaching is a good and necessary position within the church, James warns that those who hold the position of teacher are responsible for the content of their teaching and will receive a harsher judgment, good or bad, depending on whether or not they carry it out in a manner worthy of our Lord. A good teacher can lead people to a closer, more effective walk with God. But, a careless teacher can actually lead children of God away from that close personal fellowship that He desires with each of us.

Not only are teachers within the church responsible for the content of their teaching, they are responsible, even more so, for their actions. If good works are evidence of our salvation, then practicing what you teach is even more important for those who wear the mantle of teacher.

Application

We are all called upon at one time or another to teach and exhort less mature Christians. When such opportunities arise, we need to be careful that we do not lord it over them. What we say can have a powerful effect on others. And, we who have been called to teach need to ensure that we are being instructional and not judgmental. Remember that teaching is an honorable service, but other positions in the church are just as honorable if they are carried out with an attitude of humble service. Keep that in mind the next time you talk to one of the workers in the church nursery or the church janitor. Without these humble servants, the work of the body of Christ will be less effective. Be sure to thank them for their humble service. Serve where God has called you to serve and you will bring glory to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 1:22 – Perfect Practice

Posted on by Will

But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Truth to Learn

No one ever coined the phrase, “listening makes perfect.” That’s because it is only through practice that we improve on anything that we do.

Behind the Words

The word translated “become” is a form of ginomai, the basic meaning of which is “to begin to be.” This word is written here in the imperative mood indicating a command. And, the word “doers” is poiētēs, which is derived from poieō, meaning “to make something or perform something.” Poiētēs means “to be a doer or a performer.” Thus, we see that James is giving us a firm instructive command to “become people who do what the Word of God says!”

“Hearers” is translated from the Greek word akroatēs. This word is derived from the classical Greek word akroama which means, “something which is heard, such as a piece that is read, recited, played, or sung.” The implication is that it is something that is being intentionally and intently listened to.

Meaning Explained

Though my father passed away many years ago, I can still hear him saying to me as a young boy, “Don’t let my words go in one ear and out the other!” That’s probably a decent colloquialism for what James is telling us here.

James has just told us that we need to rid ourselves of evil thoughts and bad, self-serving actions and to allow the Word of God, which has been implanted in our hearts, to grow. But our faith does not grow strong without practice.

You do not become a great musician by simply reading about how to play an instrument, you must practice. But, practice does not mean simply playing through a piece once and then moving on to another (unless you are practicing musical sight-reading). It means playing the piece over and over again, paying particular attention to the nuances of the written music and the technique used to produce the sound. As the musician repeatedly plays through the music, he or she memorizes the notes and markings until the piece can be played without having to think about the specific notes on the written page.

Any Christian who wants to live the victorious Christian life and have a close fellowship with God, must cultivate the habit of reading and studying the Bible regularly. But that by itself will not produce results any more than reading about music. As we read the Word of God we need to think about it and put it into practice. We need to be aware of the nuances of God’s word just as a musician needs to be aware of the nuances of the music. And we need to practice doing it over and over again until the principles or actions become second nature to us.

Let me say that another way. Just as a musician performs music as a result of repeated practice, we must be performers of the principles given to us in the Bible by repeated practice.

Application

Hearing the Word of God is important indeed, but not nearly as important as doing what it says. James tells us that if we are only hearers of the word and not doers, we are deceiving ourselves.

Let’s put “practice being a Christian” on the top of our priority list for today, and for the rest of our lives!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved