WEIGHTY MATTERS

From My Perspective - - - 

In a culture and world with shifting priorities and values, ethical and moral values are allowed to become obscured. Those who adhere to Biblical foundational principles and moral values know what is right and wrong in God’s sight. When the secular culture is allowed to influence and dominate public discourse, spiritual values begin to be suppressed and sacrificed. As the trend persists, it becomes a weight and burden that is difficult to bear. Despite the fact of spiritual instruction to: :Cast your burdens upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22), the burdens of life can appear to be overwhelming. In like manner, when Peter instructed the persecuted Church to: “Humble yourselves…under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties (cares) on Him, because He cares for you” (I Peter 5:6-7), he goes on to write about ongoing suffering one can expect: “Resist him (your adversary), firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (I Peter 5:9-10).

For those seeking to preserve and adhere to Biblical principles and values, a further instruction zeroes in on the expected behavior of a follower of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:1-2 instructs: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” The cloud of witnesses are all those who persevered “by faith” (Hebrews 11), as well as the model of Jesus Christ that is shared in Hebrews 12. What is included in the weight that is to be laid aside? There are at least two broad areas that should be considered as the “weighty matters.” The first area includes the things that should be removed (put away) from us, such as: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice…” (Ephesians 4:29-30). This baggage and weights enumerated will bog one down and prevent forward progress in spiritual growth and development. 

The other area zeroes in on interaction by and among people. Jesus was very clear in His instruction about one’s perspective and behavior: “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). Two other areas indicated are: “And you shall shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…mind…strength…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). There is one other aspect that must be included as the commandments of love are being implemented in one’s life. It appears in I Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” The Amplified New Testament expands on the application of: “Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” We would do well to  remove the “weighty matters” that are debilitating as we put on the spiritual applications of love which bring us into harmony with the love that God has toward us. Consider these things with me.