Born to be Righteous

The 1969 song Born to be Wild suggests that some people are born into a specific way of life, and that is, according to the song, to be wild. It suggests that the nature of wildness is simply encoded into their being at birth. “It’s in their DNA,” or “They are just wired that way.” For them to be anything different is to suppress the way things were meant to be.

Jesus was born to save the world.
John the Baptist was born to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus.
What about you? You were born to _________ ?

Did you know that Adam and Eve were created to live, not to die? Death was never God’s purpose or intention in creation. Yet, the sin of Adam and Eve brought death into the world. Their sin separated them from God, a spiritual death. That is why the Psalmist wrote that no one does good (Psalm 53), or as the Apostle Paul quoted,

There is none righteous, not even one.

—Romans 3:10

In dealing with man’s death relationship (think about that phrase), God intervened to give life. We use words from the Bible like salvation, redemption, reconciliation, sanctification, forgiveness, and others. They are all ultimately linked to life. God wants us to live.

Sadly, the phrase born again has become almost cliché. Yet, when Jesus first told the prominent Jewish teacher Nicodemus that he could not enter the kingdom of God unless he was born again (John 3), He was referring to mankind’s death from God and his need for new life. Jesus was emphasizing God’s intention for man to live...and that is just the beginning.

Reconciliation is the restoration of a friendship relationship. When writing about our reconciliation to God, the Apostle Paul said:

He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

 —2 Corinthians 5:21

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus also spoke of righteousness. He described a standard for righteousness; warned about false righteousness; and spoke of a reward for righteousness while in this world. Yet, the verse quoted above tells us that our reconciliation to God had purpose. We were reborn for righteousness.

In the next chapter of 2 Corinthians Paul described his ministry in Christ: his labors in the Lord and his service in Christ. He was not boasting, but simply describing his ministry of reconciliation. He went on to say that it was accomplished “by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left” (6:7).

Now, there is something else that you should know about righteousness. When explaining the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Jesus said:

So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous. 

--Matthew 13:49

Jesus later described the final judgment by saying that God, the King, would send unrighteous souls away into eternal punishment, yet the righteous would enter into eternal life.

God wants you to live. Just remember that in your rebirth in Christ, you were born for righteousness. It’s in your spiritual DNA; you’ve been rewired. How can you do anything different?

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

—Ephesians 2:10

Mark Stinnett

April 24, 2022

I Once Stepped on a Teacher

Have you ever stepped on a teacher?

I’ll admit, that is one of the strangest questions I’ve ever asked. I don’t know what kind of image that question brings to your mind, so let me clarify.

I am not thinking about stepping on your teacher’s shoes. Rather, have you ever stepped on an ant?

Again, a strange question, but it was Solomon who gave me the idea:

Go to the ant, O sluggard,

Observe her ways and be wise.

—Proverbs 6:6

In this simple proverb Solomon told the lazy person to observe the ways of the ant and find wisdom.

Some of Solomon’s wisdom came from pure observation.

   He stopped long enough;

      He waited long enough;

         He watched long enough;

            And he learned something.

Solomon learned many practical life lessons by observing nature around him. He even learned from the lowly ant.

Now, let’s not misunderstand. Solomon was not a pantheist, a person who believes that God is in nature and all nature IS God. Rather, we know that God is our Creator. When He created the universe, He set principles in place; we call them the laws of nature. We are able to observe patterns in nature because God set things in motion according to specific, observable patterns.

By observing the laws of nature and the patterns in nature, we can learn practical lessons.

Now, back to the ants. You can read Solomon’s observation, that is, what he learned by taking the time to watch and observe the ants. It is true and does not need your validation. Yet, I wonder if it would be worthwhile to also take the time to watch and observe the ants.

Plants and animals are used in many biblical illustrations. We can learn things by observing nature around us. Yet, there is one teaching that stands out in my mind. It is found in a familiar statement that Jesus made:

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

—Matthew 6:26

Jesus didn’t say, “I looked at that birds and noticed this….” He said to us, “Look.” I think He actually wanted us to get up and go outside and look at the birds. It is not that bird-watching makes you righteous. And yet, He did say, “Look….”

Perhaps the simple exercise of looking would teach us more than imagining or remembering.

Now, no one should think that God’s revealed word, the Bible, can be replaced by observing nature. Yet, it would appear that even God recognized that a lazy person could learn something from a lowly ant; that we all could learn something from birds.

Perhaps we should get out more.
Perhaps we should...

   stop more, 

      observe more, 

         ponder more.

Perhaps we would grow in wisdom.

I am certain that we would stand in awe of our Creator!


Mark Stinnett

April 17, 2022

Help My Unbelief!

Have you ever wondered about the miracles of Jesus, really pondered the miracles?

I’m not talking about occurrences in our day that people sometimes claim to be miracles. (Birth is not a miracle; it is the natural way that God created for mankind to reproduce. Extraordinary, but not a miracle. Other modern miracles fit into this same category.) I am talking about the laws of nature being suspended so that something that simply cannot happen, does happen.

Extraordinary would be setting a world record for the largest pumpkin ever grown. Yet, planting a seed one day and then harvesting from the same plant the next day...miracle. Extraordinary events seem impossible; miracles are impossible in nature. Miracles indicate the presence of the divine.

The miracles that Jesus performed were a testimony to His true identity. The Old Testament prophets told of the Messiah who would perform miracles. Jesus did. He was the Messiah.

News of Jesus, the miracle-worker from Galilee, spread throughout the land. People did whatever they had to do in order to find Jesus so that he could heal them or heal a loved one.

On one occasion a man approached Jesus asking Him to heal his demon-possessed son. He had asked Jesus’ disciples, but they could not help. Jesus asked the gathering crowd what was going on. The man stepped forward and explained about his son. Jesus did not heal the son, not immediately. He told the man to bring his son to Him and the demon threw the boy into convulsions. Jesus did not heal the son, not immediately. Jesus asked the boy’s father how long that had been happening. The man responded and Jesus still did not heal the boy, not yet.

The man said, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

Jesus responded, “’If you can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”

The boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

Jesus then healed the boy. 

(See Mark 9.)

I think that describes us at times. We believe, truly believe, yet God’s word flies against the conventional wisdom of our day. It contradicts things we have been taught: perhaps even things taught by our parents or other respected individuals. We believe God and trust His word; we know we should. Yet, sometimes it is really difficult to believe. We might even hear our hearts cry out, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

In the miracle of the healing of the demon-possessed boy, there are two important elements that should encourage us.

First, Jesus did not get in a hurry to heal the boy. I don’t know why, but it does tell me that Jesus will not become frantic just because you are frantic. Jesus understands your pain and He knows whether the situation is urgent or not. When we pray to God and do not get an immediate answer, we should not panic. The way that God assists us may not be on our personal timetable. So, we should resolve to be content and be patient regardless of the circumstances.

Second, although the father sensed his own unbelief, he had some level of faith. The man’s request that started, “If you can…” was not a picture of confident faith like some. Yet, he had the faith to bring his boy to Jesus, and Jesus was patient. So, even if our faith is weak, we must turn to Jesus. He will be patient with our weaknesses. He IS our hope.

Mark Stinnett

April 10, 2022

When You Just Don't Understand

“We should not evaluate God, as if to stand in judgment of God and His word.” That is an overall summary of last week’s blog. So, does that mean that we can never ask God a question?

You might remember two devout Jews who were surprised at God’s word. Both questioned.

Zacharias was serving in the temple in Jerusalem when an angel of God told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Reminding the angel that he and his wife were old Zacharias responded in doubt asking how he could be certain of the angel’s word.

The angel identified himself as Gabriel, who stood in the presence of God. Then he told Zacharias that he would be unable to speak until John was born “because you did not believe my words.” (Luke 1:5-20)

Six months later the angel Gabriel was sent to the virgin Mary to tell her that she would bear the son of God. She was surprised and asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel then explained that this would be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-38)

So, why was Zacharias muted by the angel for his question, but Mary was not?

The question that Zacharias asked, along with his explanation of their old age, revealed doubt. Like a typical Jew, Zacharias asked for a sign. It was as if to say, I won’t believe you until I see a sign (a miracle) to confirm what you said. (He did receive a sign, but not what he expected!)

Mary did not ask for a sign. There was no doubt concerning the angel’s word. Yet, she did not understand how she could possibly bear a son when she had never had intimate relations with a man. She did not doubt God’s word; she just didn’t understand how things would work.

So, what about those times when, like Mary, we just don’t understand? The Psalms may help.

Most of us feel that we can identify with the psalmists as they cry out from their weakness, from their doubt, from their humanness. But do we always relate to their bold conclusions?

In Psalm 109 the psalmist calls out to God pleading, “Do not be silent!” Yet, his perception is that God IS silent. Then, he goes on to explain his troubles. He asks God to deal with his enemies and also to show him kindness.

Most can relate to the psalmist. Difficulties in life loom and it seems like God is silent and His promises are not true. We don’t understand.

Then, the psalmist described his need saying, “My knees are weak from fasting.” It is as if to say, “I have prayed with fasting regarding my situation until I am physically weak, yet with no answer.”

That is the moment of truth. In his darkest hour will the psalmist give up on God? And there lies the question to us: Will we give up on God?

After pleading and explaining the psalmist ends:

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; and in the midst of many I will praise Him. For He stands at the right of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

The pain was real, the darkness long, but greater than his suffering and uncertainty was his faith. How do we know this? He was weak from fasting because he never gave up on God. And then, he gave thanks and praised God before the Lord answered his prayer.

So, ask God your questions, but without doubt or disrespect. 

And remember, God is greater than your circumstances. 

So, trust and give thanks. 

Mark Stinnett

April 3, 2022