Newsletter Vol.2, #46—December 3, 2006

Matthew 9 ¹And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ²The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

THE 'LOSER'S LIMP'

from the book "No More Excuses" by Tony 1 Evans

Most failures are experts at making excuses. 'Tis So True . . . Today we have a generation of men who suffer from "loser's limp." Anyone who has competed in sports knows what is meant by "loser's limp." It's what happens when an outfielder misjudges a fly ball and misses the catch, or when a wide receiver drops an easy pass. They fall to the ground and get up limping. The purpose of the limp is to camouflage their failure. All of us know when we fail in our efforts. We know when we fail in job performance, family obligations, or in our actions towards others. We feel the sting of our conscience pricking us. Feelings of guilt rush into our consciousness. Such feelings are troubling and must be dealt with. If we are honest, we will admit to ourselves (and others) that we have fallen short, and with a change of heart determine to correct the problem and determine not do it again. If we seek to justify our failures, we develop the "loser's limp" -- blaming some influence, force or circumstance. "I couldn't because …" is offered as justification for inaction. "I would have, but …" is submitted as the cause for shirking responsibilities. "If it weren't for …" is submitted as a defense for failure. Similarly, people develop the "loser's limp" when attempting to defend their transgressions, their insensitivity to the needs of others, or their poor attitude toward serving the Lord. They deceive themselves, thinking they are excused or justified. Most of the time such limping is convincing only to the one doing it. Whether brethren buy into such excuses is really unimportant; what is important is that the Lord's scoffs at such nonsense. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let as do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Galatians 6:7-10 The next time we find ourselves falling short in our performance as a Christian, let's not feign the loser's limp, but stand upright and accept full responsibility for our actions or inaction. Then, and only then, are we in a position to make the needed changes, to receive forgiveness from the Lord, and to have the support and understanding of the brethren. -Ron Adams

The Meanest Member of the Church

By Dan Gatlin

The prophet Isaiah warned, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa.5:20). There are many ways in which we can witness this very thing happening in society today. Defense attorneys will often attempt to victimize criminals and criminalize victims. Abortion rights advocates will sometimes state that it is “unkind to bring an unwanted child into the world” (as if abortion were kind). Liberal theologians argue that the introduction of ancient Gnosticism into modern religious thought (via “The Da Vinci Code”) is a good thing because “at least it gets people talking about religion.” That the world reasons in this way should not be a surprise to any Christian. What is disturbing is when we find such reversed thinking in the church.

If we stand for the truth and do what is right some will be offended (Matt.15:12-14; John 6:60-66). Those that do right will be accused of all kinds of things, from lying (Matt.26:64-65) to being evil doers (1 Pet.2:12). Jesus commanded, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24).

Those who have a genuine interest in the spiritual well-being of others are often unfairly judged as causing problems or being mean-spirited. When a brother or sister tries to encourage another to do better in their attendance they may be accused of “being nosey.” When we attempt to correct a fellow Christian who has chosen to live in sin we may be called “judgmental.” Correction, by its very nature, means that we stand opposed to another’s behavior or attitude. When we correct another, judgment is involved, but it’s a judgment based on God’s word. Those in sin will often do their best to cast doubt on the motives and actions of the ones doing the correcting. In doing so, they call good evil.

Expressing our concern for the spiritual welfare of others is what we are commanded to do. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Gal.6:1). The risk in following this command is that we may be falsely accused of “being mean.” In reality, unkindness often doesn’t appear to be unkind at all. Unkindness doesn’t have to be outright aggression, it often looks like apathy. Consider the following characteristics of the meanest member of the church.

He refuses to correct his brethren when they sin. Rather, he is content to sit back and watch his brother continue in sin, knowing that it will eventually lead to eternal torment. Where is the love and concern for our brethren? How does this demonstrate kindness? This is perhaps the cruelest and most unloving thing one Christian can do to another. Perhaps some overlook sin out of a fear of confrontation. Such fear needs to be overcome: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Sadly, some preachers and elders possess this characteristic.

He will not teach his family, neighbors, and co-workers the gospel. Again, apathy toward the lost demonstrates a lack of love. Perhaps we fear that irreparable damage to the relationship will follow such an effort. But in choosing to be silent, we are choosing those relationships over God. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt.10:37-39).

He is not active in the work of the church. There are at least two problems with inactivity. (1) The inactive Christian will lose his soul. We will be judged based on several criteria in our earthly lives: the words we speak (Matt.12:36); the things we believe (2 Thess.2:10-12); our works or actions (Matt.25:31-46; 2 Tim.4:14; Rev.20:12-13). Remember, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). (2) The burden of the inactive Christian must be placed on the shoulders of another. The Bible teaches that each Christian has work to do (1 Cor.12:12-28; Eph.4:16). When part of the human body ceases to function properly (e.g. an arm or leg), other parts of the body must compensate to fill the void. The local church functions as a unit as each member does his part. When one decides to sit idly by, others must take up the void.

He does not attend as he should. How is this unkind? Consider the responsibility given to elders: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Heb.13:17). This passage does not speak specifically of attendance, but application can be made. One indicator that someone is falling away is when their attendance begins to suffer. Members who seem unconcerned about their own spiritual condition (as manifested by poor attendance) bring “grief” to those who are. But this is not just the reaction of elders. All who are concerned with the spiritual welfare of others become discouraged when they attempt to encourage and exhort one another to do what is right (cf. Heb.10:24-25). To not care that others are concerned about us is truly an unkindness.

Remember, the meanest member of the church is not the Christian who confronts others about their sin. It is the member who causes the confrontation by his inconsiderateness, sin, and apathy. Let us always “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).