Just What’s in That Box on the Top Shelf in Your Basement?

“How many power drills did this guy have?” I wondered. My Uncle Ben, who was in his 80s, had recently died and no one knew where his will was. His sister (my mom) asked me to fly up to his house on Long Island to see if I could find it. Uncle Ben was a bit eccentric: a life-long bachelor, a recluse, and somewhat of a hoarder. Hence the abundance of power drills. I ultimately found 24, ranging from a $19.99 Wal Mart special to several heavy-duty commercial-grade power drills.

Since I had no idea where his will was – or if he even had one – I literally had to open every drawer and search every box in his large house. I never did find a will, but in the process, I did learn more about Uncle Ben’s private life. Fortunately, there was nothing particularly shocking, but that potential was there. If he had had a stash of assault weapons, child pornography, drug paraphernalia, or subversive political writings, I would have found it.

How about you? Are you quietly harboring something tucked away in a “secret” place in the basement? If you were to die unexpectedly and a family member had to liquidate your belongings, would they be shocked by what they found?

Beyond the potential wreckage to your reputation among your family and friends, you must consider someone even more significant.

God says in Jeremiah 16:17, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.” And Jesus himself declares, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3).

That’s a sobering reality. However, beyond this bad news, there is also the good news that counteracts it.  God freely forgives when we acknowledge our sin and turn to him. Isaiah 55:7 promises, “Let the wicked forsake their ways… let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them… for he will freely pardon.”  And God promises in Hebrews 8:12, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

If you regularly read my blog posts, you know that I am upbeat about life and enjoy focusing on God’s grace, mercy and love. But I wrote an entire book describing how some people filter out the parts of the Bible they don’t like. A key part of the Bible’s message is that there are dire consequences for turning away from God. If we have any intellectual integrity, as much as we might want to, we can’t erase that part.

But he hasn’t left us to die in our sins. That’s why Jesus came to pay the penalty we deserve. If you haven’t come to the point of recognizing your need for forgiveness and committing your life to him, I urge you to do so. If you already know Jesus, let me remind you that he says, “Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). If you’re a Christian, are you OK with how  you are living?

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•  Would you be humiliated if a family member or friend searched every drawer and box in your house or checked out your text feed?

• Does it bother you that God knows everything – both good and bad – about you?

• Are you encouraged by the fact that through Jesus, we have a clean slate and get to live a life that reflects God’s transforming love toward us and others?

He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:10-12

Do You Have as Much Integrity as You Think You Do?

“I’m really not comfortable with that,” he said. I had just asked my good friend Tom Jeannett if he would mind if I copied an album he had just bought. Tom explained that that would deprive the artists and record label from money they deserved. He was kind enough not to use the word “steal,” but that is what he was saying. And he was so gracious that, rather than feeling condemned, I realized that what I was asking was wrong and vowed to never do that again.

A few years later, I heard a talk by Bill Bright’s personal assistant. (I think his name was Pat). Bill Bright was founder and president of the ministry Cru, and since Pat traveled all over the world with him, he observed Dr. Bright in all kinds of circumstances, from completely pleasant to highly stressful. This gave Pat deep insights into the man’s character.

For some reason I remember Pat mentioning that Dr. Bright always traveled with two stamp booklets – one for ministry correspondence and the other for personal letters. “He didn’t want to use any ministry asset – even something as small as a postage stamp – for personal purposes.” Who would know if he did? Probably no one. And would it really matter? Dr. Bright thought so. Now that’s integrity!

But personal integrity extends beyond your actions. It also applies to your words. Pastor Chuck Swindoll once said, “A half-truth is a lie when it implies something that is absolutely false.” Ouch! At what point does presenting something in a favorable light become spin, and at what point does spin become a lie? I sometimes get dangerously close to crossing the line.

The NIV renders Jesus’ words in John 14:15 like this: “If you love me, keep my commands.” Of course, this is a commandment. But the ESV translates the verse this way:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” treating his words as more of an observation than a commandment and suggesting that people who really love Jesus “naturally” or typically do what he instructed.

Both are good translations, and theologian R.C. Sproul especially likes the implications of the second one. Sproul comments, “Genuine love for Jesus manifests itself in obedience to His commandments” (John:  An Expositional Commentary, p. 255). Well said, and something to live up to.

So, John 14:15 both instructs us to behave in godly ways and observes that correct behavior flows from hearts that are aligned with God’s.

HERE ARE TWO IMPORTANT CAVEATS:

1. Talk of keeping Jesus’ commandments can lead us to believe that we can become acceptable to God by what we do. Many people think they’re OK if their good deeds outweigh their bad ones. Wrong. The Bible teaches that no one perfectly meets God’s standards. That’s why Jesus came – to assume on himself the penalty we deserve because of our sin and to allow his perfect life to count on our behalf. 

2. Those of us who have accepted Christ’s forgiveness can slip into thinking we remain in God’s favor by our self-effort in following all the rules. And we often add to requirements beyond what Jesus taught or come up with crazy interpretations or applications of his instructions. Of course, we should keep his commandments – isn’t that exactly what John 14:15 teaches? But creating slavish requirements beyond the Bible’s is called legalism, and it will suck the life out of your Christian life.

So, yes, your behavior matters. But that’s not what makes you acceptable to God, either initially or on an ongoing basis. And, as R.C. Sproul says, a natural outgrowth of your growing relationship with Jesus will be increasing conformity to his ways.

Both Tom Jeannett and Bill Bright are excellent examples of people who, because of their love for Jesus, “automatically” want to do what he said. Both of them have challenged me, and I hope they challenge you too.