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The Continental United States has thousands of walking and hiking trails, but the three most important are the Pacific Crest Trail that follows the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges in the west, the Appalachian Trail in the east, and the Continental Divide Trail that runs through the heart of the continent along the Rocky Mountains between Mexico and Canada. Together, these three trails – often little more than a narrow footpath – run almost 8,000 miles and make up the celebrated “Triple Crown of Hiking” – the great three-in one American long-distance walk.
There is an interesting spiritual analog to this concept of a great three-part walk. Both the Old and New Testament scriptures refer to “walking” in God’s ways, and in the New Testament we find Jesus’ words about the “narrow way” leading to eternal life (Matthew 7:14), and Christianity itself is referred to as “the Way” (Acts 9:2; etc.). We all recognize this concept of the Way and our walk in it, but it can be helpful to think about it a little more deeply – to break down the walk of Christianity into its component parts.
The apostle Paul does exactly this for us in his letter to the Ephesians. In the fifth chapter of his epistle Paul refers to our walk three times – giving us three parts, as it were, to the Christian Way.
1) Love: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us …” (Ephesians 5:1-2, emphasis added here and in the following scriptures). When Paul stresses love as the first part of our Christian walk, he is, of course, following the teachings of Jesus directly (Matthew 22:36-40). It is a teaching reflected by every writer of the New Testament and perhaps summarized most famously in the words of the apostle John: “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (2 John 1:6). After expounding on the walk of love with both positive and negative examples of what it is and is not, Paul moves on to the second part of our great walk.
2) Light: “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)” (Ephesians 5:8-9). Throughout the New Testament we find that light is synonymous with truth, and walking in the light and in the truth are the same thing. But in these verses Paul expands the analogy of light in equating light with those things that are “good and right and true” (vs. 9). Once again, Paul follows up his point in the following verses with positive and negative examples of what this means for our everyday lives, but his point is clear: light-truth-righteousness must be a major part of our walk with God and others. As John tells us: “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another …” (1 John 1:6-7).
3) Wisdom: The final part of the three part walk that Paul describes may be somewhat surprising at first, but it is one that teaches an important lesson. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,” (Ephesians 5:15-16). In this final part of his explanation of what walking with God means – the final part of the three-in-one Way – Paul stresses that we must avoid foolishness and walk wisely. Yet again he gives positive and negative examples of what this means in the following verses, but the principle is summed up in verse 17 where he tells us “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” For Paul, if we understand God’s true intent for us, we will be walking wisely and applying wisdom to the way we walk in love and in truth. Paul understood that we can walk the walk of love yet still be without truth – or vice versa. But he also understood that without wisdom our overall walk in love or truth can be seriously affected. The responsibility lies on us individually to complete this part of our walk just as much as the other parts – to examine how we express love and truth in our lives and to ensure that wisdom is there, also.
Naturally, we can ask God’s help for all parts of our walk with him – for love (1 John 4:7), for truth (Psalm 119:18), and for wisdom (James 1:5). But Paul shows us that it is only when all three parts are in place that our walk is a complete one – the “Triple Crown” of our walk with God.
Have you ever travelled through an airport and seen unclaimed suitcases sitting on or next to luggage carousels? We might think that it would be hard to forget a suitcase after a flight (depending on how bad the flight was, of course), but astonishingly, millions of bags are unclaimed each year worldwide – sometimes after being misdirected but other times just forgotten and left in the airport to which they were flown. Unclaimed luggage in the United States over the last few decades has included bags containing incredibly valuable things such as a 40.95-carat natural emerald, a 4,000-year-old Egyptian burial mask, and even an Air Force missile guidance system.
Perhaps even more amazingly, what is true of luggage is also true of many people’s money. People forget that they have old or dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, bonds or other financial holdings, and these funds often go unclaimed after their owners’ deaths, despite the fact that they may sometimes represent very large amounts. In fact, it is estimated that in the United States alone there are over thirty billion dollars of such unclaimed funds at a given time.
This may seem strange to most of us – especially when we realize that all the owners had to do to obtain their unclaimed possessions was to show two forms of identification to claim what was rightfully theirs. Yet hard as it may be for many of us to understand the huge number of suitcases and the massive amounts of money that go unclaimed each year, we too may be guilty of forgetting to claim some of the spiritual things – the standing promises found in God’s word – to which we are entitled.
How many promises does the Bible contain? Different estimates have been made by different people. Many who have tried to count the Bible’s promises feel that there are well over 3,000 and some feel that there are actually more than 5,000 or even 7,000. The 20th century Bible writer Dr. Herbert Lockyer published a book titled All the Promises of the Bible which claimed that there are actually some 8,000 distinct promises waiting to be claimed between the pages of the Bible.
However many promises the Bible may contain, the point is that there are ones applying to almost every conceivable situation in life. Most of them are clearly stated and waiting for us to claim them. But biblically, we do need two forms of identification, and many people are disappointed or disillusioned when they try to claim the Scripture’s promises without them.
The Bible shows that to claim its promises we must be the people to whom the promises belong and the first identifier is that of obedience. Notice what the apostle Paul says specifically about this form of spiritual identification needed for promise claiming: “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). While these words may sound somewhat formal to our modern ears, it is the same kind of formal language found in a passport or other form of identification, and its meaning is clear. To claim God’s promises we need to be as obedient as possible to what God reveals to us regarding his way of life.
But a single form of identification is often not enough to retrieve your unclaimed suitcase or financial account, and the same is true of biblical identification. The Scriptures specify a second form of spiritual ID that we need to claim its promises – that of perseverance. The book of Hebrews makes this clear: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36 and see also Hebrews 6:12). Just as we may have to wait a little while in the line at the airport luggage office or we may have to wait patiently till we hear back from the bank from which we try to withdraw our unclaimed funds, spiritual promises sometimes require a little patience before they are fulfilled – but a promise is a promise and the God who gave the Scripture’s promises knows that better than any of us and he will fulfill them (Numbers 23:19). Our responsibility is simply to know, remember and claim the promises he has given us.
Yet so often we do not claim promises we have been given or utilize them even when we need them. A historical example comes to mind. In the 1800’s the great warrior chief Isapo-Muxika, or Crowfoot, of the Blackfoot nation in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railway permission to lay railroad tracks through his people’s land. The grateful railroad officials gave Crowfoot a lifetime ticket to ride the trains, and the chief wore this ticket in a pouch around his neck – but never once used it – throughout the rest of his life.
That is a human trait all of us can display to some degree – to be aware of promises and perhaps even to treasure them, yet to not always actively claim them. That is why, like many suitcases and bank accounts, there are so many spiritual promises that go unclaimed. But the Bible is clear. As long as we have the two identifications of obedience and perseverance, we are eligible to claim what has been spiritually promised to us and what is rightfully ours.
One of the primary laws of success is not to try to pursue too many goals at one time. When we attempt many goals at once, we tend to stretch our efforts too thin – and if we are not careful we can become mediocre in everything we do. As a result, many leadership experts stress that it is best to focus on one major goal at a time, and to put most of our efforts into that single, primary, goal.
So how does this fact balance with what we are called to do in our Christian lives? The apostle Paul actually gives us at least three major goals for which we should be aiming – and we are not given the luxury of tackling one goal at a time! But let’s look at those biblical goals and then consider how we can fulfill them without lessoning our success with any one of them.
Goal One: Perhaps the primary goal Paul gives every warrior of the Way is to glorify God. The apostle made it clear when he wrote: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). In context Paul is talking primarily about food and drink, but the words “whatever you do” add a breadth of application that clearly means we are to glorify God in everything we do – and of, course, everything we think or say. That’s a huge goal, but it meshes perfectly with what Jesus himself said about the greatest commandment being to love God (Matthew 22:36-38). If we truly love God, we will be seeking to glorify him in every aspect of our lives.
Goal Two: Although the first goal of the Christian life we looked at is already incredibly broad, we can now add on a second goal: helping and strengthening others. Just as Jesus taught that in addition to love of God we must love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), so Paul stresses the importance of loving others through helping them in whatever way we can: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). We should note that Paul urges us not only to apply love in our dealings with everyone – but also especially to do what we can to help fellow believers.
Goal Three: We already have two major goals to contemplate, but Paul adds a third one: being a light to unbelievers. This is fulfilling the “Great Commission” Jesus gave his disciples before his ascension (Matthew 28:18-20), and it is called a “great” commission or goal for good reason. As Paul wrote: “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47 and see also Acts 26:18, Philippians 2:14-16). In a figurative sense, of course, “Gentiles” includes all who are not part of “spiritual Israel” (Romans 2:28-29, 1 Peter 2:9, Galatians 6:16) – in other words, all unbelievers – which is another huge goal.
So the biblical evidence is clear. As Christians, we are given not one, but at least three major goals, and we are expected to fulfill them all! But given what we said at the beginning of this article, how can we possibly fulfill three such massive goals without diluting our efforts and producing only mediocre results in what we accomplish? Fortunately, the Bible answers this question in a very encouraging way. Unlike physical goals which usually require focused attention and effort that can be applied in only one area or another, the New Testament makes it clear that if we are diligently working toward one of the three goals we have been given, we will, in effect, be working toward them all.
Consider a small example of this. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples: “… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 ESV). Did you see it? If we are fulfilling the goal of letting our light shine before others, we will also be fulfilling the goal of bringing glory to God! Paul made exactly this same point when he wrote that through the spreading of the word: “… the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15).
Putting this example in a practical context means that helping a stranger or a fellow believer in some way not only fulfills the goal of serving and helping others, but our action also glorifies God – whether the person we help knows we are a Christian or not. A little reflection on the three goals we have been given will show that every one of them overlaps and interacts with the others in the same way. This does not mean that we need only attempt to do one of the things we have been given to do in our Christian lives, but it helps us to see that unlike attempting physical goals, we can successfully accomplish multiple spiritual goals at once. That is one of the most encouraging things we can know about the Way to which we have been called, and it is a powerful antidote to feeling that we are responsible for managing long lists of spiritual goals. We are given multiple goals, but when we strive to fulfill any one of them, very often we are working on fulfilling them all.
Business failures. Layoffs. A shaky stock market and weak economy. It’s not hard to find things to be anxious over today. If it’s not national crises, a variety of everyday problems can disturb us: the lump discovered on a breast; the divorce papers served yesterday; the wayward teen who felt the tug into rebellion; dwindling retirement funds.
If you find that fear of the future immobilizes you, try overcoming it through the simple act of remembering.
Remember the Creator
The God who created you controls your life. He who spoke the universe into existence understands economic downturns and oversees counseling sessions and chemotherapy. He rightly asks, “Who is my equal?” (Isaiah 40:25).
Because of God’s ownership, life, with all its fearful debris, rotates around the fixed axis of His divine sovereignty. “This is my Father’s world,” the hymn says — not yours, not the government’s, not the surgeon’s who will be operating in the morning. This doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen but that God will help you when you don’t know what to do. You can count on Him to give sanity in the midst of panic, and work bad into good — if you love Him (Romans 8:28).
It’s easy to forget this. One negative report from the blood test, a down day on Wall Street, and God shrinks. But the truth is, if you rightly remember the Creator, you shrink — not God: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, . . . what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3, 4).
Despite what you see or can’t see, what you feel or dread, God’s world has purpose and plan. Mistakes and mishaps do not have the final word.
Remember the past
God knows that our perspective of the future is often limited to what we can see. That’s why the refrains of “remember” and “do not forget the past” lace the Scriptures together. If you fear the future, try remembering “the deeds of the Lord” (Psalm 77:11).
Let Psalm 105 show you how. It traces God’s work in behalf of the Israelites: He protected them from oppression; permitted Joseph to be enslaved, planning the key to future survival through him; made the Israelites fruitful; empowered Moses and Aaron to perform miracles before Pharaoh and the people; sent plagues and led the Israelites out of Egypt; guided them with fire at night and a cloud by day; supplied food and water in the wilderness; gave them lands of other nations.
Notice the detail; it’s there to prove how essential a good memory is. Failing to recall God’s specific help in the past puts a person in danger of failing to depend on Him for the future.
That’s what happened to the Israelites: “They gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses . . .” (106:7). When the people faced new challenges after their deliverance, they refused to wait for God’s counsel because they had forgotten what He’d done (v. 13). In no time, forgetfulness gave way to rebellion, impatience, murmuring, complaining, envy, idolatry, and ultimately unbelief.
Likewise, when fear overwhelms, you tend to forget what God has done for you in times past. By now, you’ve probably racked up enough mileage to offer a fair survey of the road behind. Where in your journey did God intervene? When did He send a messenger of hope? When did He change an attitude and bring peace? How did He supply your needs? In custody battles, court appearances, caring for aging parents, adjustments to singleness, long-term illnesses, and separation through death and divorce, you can trace God’s providential hand.
You might try writing your own version of Psalm 105, especially if you find yourself more prone to the attitude in Psalm 106. Recounting the Red Seas in your past means that you can once again “Look to the Lord and His strength [and] seek his face always” (105:4).
Remember, God remembers
God has a unique memory. When we repent, He remembers our sins against us no more (Isaiah 43:25). But He never forgets those children He formed in the womb (49:15, 16).
Genesis offers an account of yet another dimension of God’s memory. Keeping it in mind will help you place a firm grip on fears about the future.
God decided to destroy the earth with a flood. But He promised to save Noah if he followed the instructions for building an ark and loaded family and animals in it. Will the pitch hold? Noah may have wondered. Is the wood strong enough to endure the torrents? Once the ark comes to rest, then what?
For forty days God remained silent. The writer of Genesis says that after the waters flooded the earth about five months, “God remembered Noah . . .” (Genesis 8:1). This doesn’t imply that God had forgotten His servant for a while and suddenly recovered His memory. It means that God was always mindful of His promise to preserve Noah, his family, and the animals (6:18) but had delayed fulfilling it.
A wind blew over the earth, and the floodwaters receded. In the seventh month, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat and with it rested whatever doubts Noah may have had. When conditions were right, God permitted Noah, his family, and the animals to disembark into a fresh, clean world.
God has made many promises to us in His Word. Consider which ones you can look to when you’re paralyzed by fear of the future. He pledges strength and aid when you’re terrified (Isaiah 41:10). He vows that the waters will not overwhelm you, that the fire won’t scorch you (43:2). He promises perfect peace if you keep your mind riveted on Him (26:3).
Holding steady
Richard Fuller writes about an old seaman’s wisdom: “In fierce storms we must do one thing, for there is only one way to survive: we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.” Fuller likens our soul to a ship in a storm: We must put it in one position and refuse to move it, no matter what.
When the waves of fear roll you from side to side, exercising your memory holds your soul in a steady position of trust. The Creator’s control, His past help, and a sharp memory of His promises — with these, you can face the storms of fear with confidence.
*Reproduced with permission from The Bible Advocate
Ironic as it might seem, the further we progress along the Way to which we are called as Christians, the more it seems we see the failings and errors of our own nature. That can be discouraging at times, but when it happens we need to remember something.
The Bible gives us two stories that speak to this situation, though we might not realize it unless we give the matter some thought. The first story, in the Old Testament, relates to a vision of the prophet Isaiah:
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple… “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:1, 5).
Isaiah’s very clear reaction on seeing God in this vision was one of understanding his own spiritual inadequacy and “uncleanness.” Now compare this story with another in the New Testament – how Jesus revealed his divine power to Peter and the men fishing with him:
“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret … he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”…. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break …. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:1-8).
Although these two stories may seem very different on the surface, Peter’s reaction to seeing even a small glimpse of Jesus’ divinity was not unlike the effect of the vision of Isaiah – it was a realization of his own unworthiness and sinful nature. Admittedly, these events occurred at the beginning of the careers of the two servants of God, but the principle remains the same – the more we come to understand of God, the more we are conscious of our own failings.
It was many years after the conversion of the apostle Paul that he wrote: “What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:24), and “… I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle…” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Yet Paul continued this same thought to the Corinthian Christians: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (vs. 10). Despite his painful awareness of his own failings – after many years of God working with him – Paul could still say near the end of his life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Both statements were true! Just like the rest of us, Paul doubtless realized his own spiritual failings all the more as the years progressed, yet he knew that God was changing him and completing a purpose in his life.
To use a simple analogy, before conversion we live in spiritual darkness – like living in a dark room – and cannot see any of the “stains” and “black marks” of sin that cover us. As we are converted and move toward the “light” (remember, God is spiritual light), the more we begin to see those black marks on ourselves – and the brighter the light becomes, the more we see even the smallest stains.
It is a simple truth of the Christian life that the more we grow and come to see God, the less we like what we see of ourselves. Yet this can be encouraging – looked at the other way around, the less we like what we see of ourselves the more we are probably seeing of God and moving closer to him!
This is not the same as living our lives in a despondent spiritual attitude that focuses on how unworthy we are. It is just an honest realization of our own spiritual inadequacy and a heightened awareness of ways in which we do fail – sometimes in small things that we would never have noticed earlier in our Christian lives. Perhaps we can say that our occasional discouragement with our own failings can be turned around. The more we see the failings of our own nature, the more we can be encouraged that we are doubtless moving closer to God who is enabling us to see those things. We can rejoice that just as we see ourselves more clearly as we move closer to God, he can continue the process of helping us to see him and making us more like him.
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