Lessons From Lot…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by
Filed Under Exhortation, From Daily Readings | Leave a Comment |

As I have been reading from the book of Genesis over the last couple of days, several thoughts occurred to me. In Genesis 13, Abraham and Lot separated from one another, with Lot choosing to move his family toward the city of Sodom. Abraham, in the meantime, moved toward the Oaks of Mamre, near Hebron,  and continued to live in tents. By Genesis 18, God decided that He would destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. Abraham, in an effort to save his nephew, Lot, bargained with God about saving the cities. He started by asking if God would save the cities if there were 50 righteous persons located there. He eventually whittled that number down to just 10, but even that could not be found, and God proceeded with His plan to destroy these wicked cities. Of course, God did make provision for Lot, making a way to escape the destruction that was to come.

Righteous people sometimes make bad decisions. When Lot and Abraham got to a point where their herdsmen could not get along, they Abraham told Lot to choose where he wanted to go. In the New Testament, Lot is called a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7), and yet the choice he made here was not a wise one. He moved his family to the close proximity of the extreme wickedness of Sodom, and it is evident that the wickedness affected his family. His own daughters were engaged to be married to men who would not heed the warning of God. During the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s own wife looked back at the city. Perhaps this was just a sign that she couldn’t help herself, and turned back because of the noise of the destruction going on behind her. Or, perhaps, it is a sign that she was longing for the things available in that city, things she was not ready to give up yet. And finally, after the destruction of the cities, Lot’s daughters did a most despicable thing, lying with their father so as to get pregnant and have children. Perhaps all of these things could have happened without the evil influences of Sodom, but it seems more rational to think that the influences of those around them contributed to their disobedient acts! Overall, I’m pretty sure that Lot, if asked, would say he made a pretty bad decision in moving his family to Sodom. That one decision set of a series of events that left his family in shambles.

We can remain righteous even when surrounded by wickedness. The description of the wickedness of the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah and those of the plains around them is quite extreme. We may think of New York City, or San Francisco in our world today. There seems to be no redeeming qualities for those cities. God could not even find 10 righteous souls in all the cities of the plains! And yet, through all of that, Lot remained a righteous man. Sometimes, we find ourselves surrounded by wickedness, and have little chance to escape. Often, when on the job, or in a public school situation, wickedness is daunting. It becomes easy to think that we, like Elijah, are the only ones left trying to serve God. And, while that is certainly not true in the grand scheme of things, it very well may be true in our own place and time. It was true for Lot and his family, and it was true for Noah and his family (on an even broader scale). Despite what might be going on around us, we can still remain faithful to the Lord. In fact, God expects us to remain righteous, regardless of how wicked the world around us becomes! One important goal is to measure ourselves by God’s standard, not by comparing ourselves to the world. It is not difficult to be better than the worldliness around us, but that does not mean that we are living up to God’s expectations! While we should not intentionally surround ourselves with wickedness, we should be committed to righteousness regardless of the environment we find ourselves in.

It is good to have brethren to intercede for us with God. It is evident from the Genesis account that Abraham’s intercession for Lot contributed to God’s decision to spare him (Genesis 19:29). Abraham was willing to petition God on behalf of Lot, and God answered Abraham’s petitions (even if it was not in the way that Abraham anticipated). We do not know what God’s dealing would have been without Abraham’s petitions. Perhaps He would have spared Lot and his family in exactly the same way. What we do know is that God listened to Abraham, and that He did respond. When we are struggling today, it is good to have loving brethren who are willing to petition God on our behalf. We can ask for such help on our behalf when we are struggling with sin (Acts 8:18-24) or when we are suffering from illness or injury (James 5:14-15) as well as any number of other circumstances. James tells us that the “effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). We should want the righteous praying to God on our behalf!

God punishes wickedness. One of the recurring themes throughout the Old Testament is the punishment or judgment of God. God often warned the people of the impending destruction that was to come because of their sin, if they refused to repent. The situation was so bad in Sodom and the cities of the plains that there is no record of God’s call for repentance, but the judgment that was to come is obviously tied to their sinful practices. Even when the angels made their way into the city of Sodom, they found the men clamoring for homosexual relations. There is no doubt from the context that Sodom and her sister cities were destroyed because of the rampant sin of homosexuality. The lesson that should be taken from this for us today is that God will punish wickedness. There are many who view God as too loving to punish those who are wicked. But He is very clear in scripture that He will send those who refuse to obey Him into everlasting punishment. For example, in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus describes a great judgment scene. The end judgment for those who refuse to submit to God, to be obedient to His commands, is that they would be cast into eternal destruction, a fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The many examples of judgment throughout the Old Testament emphasize the faithfulness of God. When He said He would come in judgment, punishing the evil doers, He did just that. When He tells us today that He will punish those who are disobedient (Colossians 3:6), we can trust that He is faithful and will do just as He has promised. God’s promise of a reward for the faithful means nothing if His promise of punishment for the wicked is not true!

God is merciful, even in times of judgment. Even though the story of Sodom and the cities of the plains is a graphic one, emphasizing the judgment of God against wickedness, His mercy cannot be overlooked. For those who were righteous, God provided a way of salvation. They had to do just as He commanded, or else they would suffer a similar destruction to those consumed by the fires of the plains. God has provided for us a way to avoid the destructive judgment depicted in Matthew 25. He has given us His plan of salvation, so that all can be redeemed by the sacrifice of His Son. And yet so many, much like the sons-in-law of Lot reject the message, and treat God as if He is “only joking.” Others, like Lot’s wife, are unable to leave behind the cares of the world, and turn back to its spiritually destructive view. God’s mercy is not doled out by Him lightly. He expects for us to be striving to serve Him. But, when we do that, He is there for us! Consider what the apostle Paul wrote concerning our times of trials and temptations:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

God provides for us a way of escape, just as He provided a way of escape for Lot and his family. We have to make the decision to take advantage of what God has provided, else we will lose that hope of salvation.

There are many lessons that can be drawn from the account of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is my hope that the lessons drawn in this study will help us to understand the need to submit to God, and to strive to serve Him as faithful servants no matter where we might be. We need to prepare ourselves for the coming judgement, and we should be thankful for the great mercy of God that provides for our salvation. In that, we must also realize that God has reserved His mercy for those who are diligently seeking to serve Him according to His will, and not for those who are rebellious, determined to do things their own way. So, as you are fleeing from the destruction that is to come, are you a Lot, or are you a Lot’s wife, or son-in-law?

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Losing Your Integrity

Posted on January 11, 2012 by
Filed Under Exhortation, Moral Issues | 1 Comment |

This year I have decided to do a chronological reading of the Bible. This plan quickly got me into the book of Job, and as I was reading a couple of days ago, a couple of verses drew my attention:

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3)

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9)

First, notice that God challenged Satan to test Job because of the type of man that he was. Job was determined to serve God, despite the fact that he had suffered greatly at the hands of Satan. He wasn’t going to give up his integrity, even when his own wife turned against him, and encouraged him to do so even to the point of cursing God so that he could die!

This account made me start thinking about the idea of integrity. How easily do we give up our integrity today?  In what circumstances do we justify doing away with our integrity?

Perhaps a good place to start would be to define what we mean by integrity. First, consider the definition, as given by dictionary.com:

adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character;  honesty.

Second, consider what Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary has to say about this word:

INTEGRITY — honesty, sincerity, singleness of purpose. In the Old Testament, Noah (Gen. 6:9), Abraham (Gen. 17:1), Jacob (Gen. 25:27), David (1 Kin. 9:4), and Job (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3, 9; 4:6; 27:5; 31:6) were called people of integrity. Although Jesus did not use the word “integrity,” he called for purity of heart (Matt. 5:8), singleness of purpose (Matt. 6:22), and purity of motive (Matt. 6:1–6).

The emphasis of this word is one of honesty and solid moral character. Telling the truth, and abiding by strong moral principles are imperative to the Christian life. And yet, it has become acceptable,  at least in our society, for people to lay aside the telling of truth or other moral principles when there is some advantage given to them by doing so. Recently, the president of the United States Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama sat down for an interview in which he was asked several personal questions. One of the questions asked of him was: On what occasions do you lie? The answer may or may not surprise you:

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Usually, the only time I lie is very personal interactions with family members, who you say, “You look great,” and they don’t. “Wonderful dress…” Uh, not so much.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Things where the truth would hurt other people.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Right, the things where truth would hurt other people. Not too many big things. I said during the campaign that I’ll always tell you what I think, and I will, always tell you where I stand. I’m not perfect, but you’ll know what I believe.

MICHELLE OBAMA: I think the same thing. When it would hurt somebody else’s feelings. When the truth isn’t helpful.

I do not intend this to be a political post in any way, as I am sure most of the presidents regardless of party, would have a similar answer. My point here is that our society has accepted that under certain circumstances it is OK to be dishonest. So, if it is beneficial to you in some way, it is acceptable to let go of integrity!

It would be nice to be able to write about this issue as if it is a problem only in the world. But sadly, it this is a concept that has found its way into the Lord’s church as well. There are too many Christians that believe that it is acceptable to be dishonest under certain circumstances, or that it is acceptable to give up their moral and ethical principles under particular situations.

Let me share just a couple of examples that come to mind.

Lying. Whether we like it or not, many Christians have adopted the same idea of being dishonest as is expressed by the president and his wife in the above quotes. Such actions are justified by acting as if telling the truth is harder, or will cause some hardship. Sometimes it is easier, either for ourselves or on someone else if we tell just a small lie. No matter how much we try to justify it, lying is never acceptable to God. In fact, he speaks of the consequence of lying in the strongest possible language (Revelation 21:8).

Other sins of the tongue. James tells us that the tongue is the hardest part of our body to tame (James 3:1-12). Knowing this, it seems that some Christians have no desire to even try! There are many Christians who speak just like the world around them, using the same foul language and telling the same profane jokes. But, we as Christians are instructed to use our mouths wisely (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 3:8). In fact, Jesus warns that we will be judged by every word that comes from our mouths (Matthew 12:33-37), so we had better be cautious! How can we think of these passages and think that it is acceptable to forget our moral principles and use our tongues for profane speech?

Dishonesty with brethren. Maybe this one stands out as “different” from the rest of the list, but it seems to be more and more prevalent in the church. Recently, a friend of mine posted a quote on his Facebook page which said:  ”Always represent the other viewpoint as its best adherents represent it.” -Roger Olson. It is sad to see brethren who will be dishonest about what another brother believes so that they can “win an argument.” I am aware of one man who has blatantly misrepresented a brother in his effort to mark him as an “apostate” because he disagrees with him on one particular subject. This brother pulled a quote out of context, ignored what was being said or taught, and then accused his brother of teaching that the silence of the scriptures is authoritative. This type of dishonesty shows a complete lack of integrity. Sadly, it seems to happen more and more. Perhaps Jeremiah’s warning would be well heeded today:

For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you (Jeremiah 12:6).

It would be good if we could always trust our brethren, but unfortunately some have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. These have laid down their integrity for their own gain in some way. They are not the children of God! For our part, let us hold to our integrity, and be ever trustworthy with all that we have dealings with!

Fornication and adultery. While the other sins listed may be easily justified in the mind of the perpetrator, it is amazing that some are trying to justify something like this example. And yet, there are many Christians who have laid down their integrity for their own physical pleasure. Unmarried men and women are involving themselves in the sin of fornication, without fear of consequence. They seem to think that there are no consequences if they are not caught. Young ladies think themselves “safe” as long as they do not become pregnant. Married people justify the sin of adultery because “God would want us to be happy.” They are convinced that they deserve better than what they have in their own marriages, and so they choose to commit this sin against God. No matter how acceptable these things become in our society, they will never be acceptable to God. If one lays down his integrity for such carnal pleasure, he will sacrifice his reward in Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

This list could certainly continue, as there are any number of areas that Christians try to make compromises with the world. However, as we conclude these thoughts, remember Job. He was unwilling to give up his integrity, no matter how bad things got for him. We too need to hold fast to our integrity. If we lose all else, no one can take our integrity away from us. We have to give it up on our own!

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The Stagnant in Spirit

Posted on December 20, 2011 by
Filed Under Exhortation, OT History, What I'm Studying... | 1 Comment |

As we have been studying Old Testament History, we have come to the time of the prophets. Recently, we have been looking at Zephaniah, and I noticed a particularly interesting verse. In chapter one, as Zephaniah rebuked the people of Judah for their disobedience before God, he expressed one condemnation that seems a bit different than the others.  The expected rebukes are of course present: condemning idolatry, condemning the leadership of the priests, princes and kings, and a condemnation of the violence that had filled the streets of Jerusalem. However, in verse 12, Zephaniah reveals a condemnation of a different sort:

It will come about at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the men
Who are stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good or evil’
Zephaniah 1:12 (NASB)

Zephaniah said that God would punish the men who were “stagnant in spirit.” These were the men who had given up on God’s interaction with them completely–He could do neither good or evil for them. Because they gave up on God, they were not active in their duties and responsibilities. The New King James Version says:

“And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’ (Zephaniah 1:12)

This is the same idea. They are “settled in complacency.” Because they had lost faith in God, they refused to fulfill their duties and responsibilities as dictated by Him. Sadly, the same thing has happened today. There are many who have lost their faith in God’s abilities to do anything for them, and so it is not surprising that they will not do what God has commanded. It is not that these people are not “religious,” but being religious, and having faith are two completely different things! There are many Christians who would never miss an assembly, and yet they do not really have faith that God can do anything today.  They read the passages about God’s power and might, and attempt to explain them away in one manner or another. There are many Christians that do not even believe that God has the ability to answer prayer, and rely only on the medical advancements of the day for healing power. I wonder, if this is the case, why not lay our prayers at the feet of the doctors and nurses?

As men move away from believing in God’s ability to answer prayer, they move away from an active faith. If we become convinced that God is incapable of doing anything for us, it will not be long before we, like the people of Judah, begin to ignore His instructions for us. Perhaps this is what is really at the heart of the inactivity that is so prevalent in many local churches today! If we begin to believe that God only gives us his minimum attention, then it would only be natural for us to give Him only our minimal attention.

How can we, as believers, think that God will not do good or evil for us? How can we read the New Testament and come to the conclusion that He is inactive, and is only waiting for us to die so He can sort us into the “lost” or the “saved”? For brevity sake, consider just a couple of passages that clearly indicate that this is not the approach that God has determined to take with us:

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. (James 5:16–17)

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:3–11)

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26–27)

How can a person read these passages and think that God is not active, working for our good? If we can accept that He is doing great things for us, then we will never be able to sit by, in our complacency, stagnant in spirit. Instead, we will be compelled to work diligently for His sake, and the Kingdom! If we lose heart, and fail do become stagnant in spirit, the same condemnation stands for us as stood for the people of Judah. So, will we be active in His kingdom on this day, or will we be settled in our complacency?

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Whom Should a Christian Marry?

Posted on August 27, 2011 by
Filed Under Home and Family | 7 Comments |

As an evangelist, I often have discussions with young people about the relationships that they are involved in, whether it be friendships or dating. As I am now the “old guy” in these discussions, I have often run into disagreements with these young folks. The question often comes up: Is it ok for us to date non-Christians? Unfortunately, when that question comes up, it is usually too late—they are already in such a relationship!

I have had disagreements with young people, and also with their parents over this important question. The practice is usually being defended under such premises as:

Surely the list could go on and on. But, all of these are excuses for young people allowing themselves to become infatuated with the wrong kind of people! The sad thing is that quite often parents (who claim to be Christians) facilitate their infatuations! This is a serious question that must be faced, and answered, long before young people begin to date. Consider, if you will, a summary of the research compiled by Bobby Key, an evangelist in Miami, Oklahoma, over a 20 year period:

Christians Married to Non Christians

Christians Married to Christians

79 Total

64 Total

57 Left the church

5 Left the church

22 Faithful as Christians

59 Faithful as Christians

25 Divorced

2 Divorced

 

This research shows the likelihood of young people falling away from the Lord if they marry non Christians. It calculates out to a 72% chance that a Christian who marries a non-Christian will become unfaithful. “But,” you say, “We will be among the 28% who remain faithful.” Perhaps, but why would you purposefully chose to enter into a relationship that has such a high rate of failure? Notice also that the divorce rate among Christians married to non-Christians is also much higher!

This only addresses the statistical issue. That should be enough to convince anyone that marrying a non-Christian is a bad idea. However, we also need to consider the fact that the Bible also speaks to this issue, and should not be ignored.

Some will say, “The Bible never says that a Christian cannot marry a non-Christian.” That is absolutely true; there is no specific Bible passage that, in those words, condemns the practice. However, the Bible is clear concerning God’s intent for His people, including who they choose for a mate. One cannot live up to God’s expectation for himself, or his family if he selfishly chooses to marry one who will not be obedient to God. Paul wrote:

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” –2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Many have made the argument that Paul was not speaking of marriage, and that would be true. However, if we consider that he warned against being “unequally yoked” together in other relationships, why would we exclude the most important of human relationships from our application? When one chooses to marry a non-Christian, he is “yoking” himself to an unbeliever, who will lead him away from what he should be on many different levels. Consider the consequences of this choice, many of which are sinful:

Choosing to marry a non-Christian is always the result of carnal lusts, rather than a spiritual decision. How can one believe they are making a decision in their best spiritual interest when they choose to join themselves for a lifetime to a person who does not share their spiritual devotions? If spiritual well-being was not under consideration, then what is left? Only worldly, carnal, physical lusts. Often, a Christian comes to the decision to marry a non-Christian because of a physical attraction. Such a one is more concerned with physical happiness than with spiritual development.

Marrying a non-Christian means you have no spiritual help-mate. Marriage has a twofold purpose, which can be summed up with the term “help-mate.” Marriage is the only physical relationship in which God approves of a sexual relationship. But, marriage is also the relationship that God has developed for His people to have a spiritual helper. Husbands, as spiritual leaders in their homes have a responsibility to direct them in way that God expects. When one chooses to marry a non-Christian, there is either no spiritual leadership (if the husband is not a Christian) or no spiritual helper (if the wife is not a Christian). Either way, the family is almost surely doomed to spiritual destruction.

Marrying a non-Christian will make it nearly impossible to raise godly children. Because there is no consistency between parents on the spiritual level, it is almost impossible to raise godly children in such an environment. How can a faithful parent convey the importance of obedience to God when the other parent is refusing to be obedient? Obviously, the message that will be conveyed to the children, is that obedience is not really all that important, because they know that even the faithful parent has chosen to support the unfaithful parent in their disobedience.

Marrying a non-Christian can cause financial disagreements. Things like finances can become quite a dividing point when Christians marry non-Christians. Will the unfaithful spouse spend money on things that a Christian household should not be participating in? Will the unfaithful refuse to use finances in ways that should be prevalent in Christian homes? Will benevolence, contribution to the church and such be impossible for the faithful spouse? Why would a faithful Christian be willing to “sacrifice” those duties for the sake of marrying a non-Christian?

Marrying a non-Christian can cause moral disagreements. How can there not be moral disagreements when married to someone who does not share your spiritual commitment? Sure, such a one could be, in general, a “good moral person,” but one who will not be obedient to Christ will never have the same moral standard as one who is devoted to Christ. Issues such as modesty, entertainment, profanity, and the like could possibly be a point of contention in the relationship.

Far too many young people never think of these issues (and many more that could be added) before starting to date and get serious about one who is not a Christian. Before long, they are “in too deep” and can’t emotionally withdraw from a relationship that they may even intellectually acknowledge as being no good for them spiritually. They end up making a decision, not based on biblical teaching, but rather on their youthful lusts. They try to convince themselves that they can overcome all of the obstacles, and that they will remain faithful. And parents support them in their poor decisions. Take another look at the chart above. Parents, do you really want to support your children taking such a chance? Those statistics don’t go forward to the next generation. It would be interesting (and I am sure quite frightening) to see the stats for the faithfulness of the offspring of these marriages.

“You just don’t want us to be happy!” That is the often the final thought when I am discussing this subject, before the dialog is cut off. But, just the opposite is true. I want Christians to be happy in their marriages, but not just in half (the physical half) of the marriage. God’s expectation is that you are fully fulfilled (physically, emotionally and spiritually) in marriage. When one is “unequally yoked” he will be missing the latter two. How is that “happiness” if we have any kind of spiritual consciousness at all?

 

 

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Value Your Reputation When Dating

Posted on August 23, 2011 by
Filed Under Home and Family | 1 Comment |

Recently, we’ve been studying the Family in our Adult Bible Study. Last week, we started discussing the subject of Preparing for Marriage. One section that I wrote concerning this topic had to do with valuing and protecting reputations. Consider:

Value your reputation. One who values his reputation will not put himself (or a young lady he is dating) into questionable situations. He will not put himself into situations that will tempt him to commit fornication. He will also be concerned about the appearance of his actions with one of the opposite sex. He will be concerned about what people think about the relationship that they are carrying on. If he is dedicated first to God, then he will not conduct himself in such a way as to bring about rumors concerning his relationship.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1)

A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth; (Ecclesiastes 7:1)

Many young people seem to be unconcerned about their own reputation. Some have gone so far to say that it doesn’t matter what others might think about you, as long as you know that your practices are pure. This has led to some involving themselves in practices that both put them in compromising situations, and tarnished their own reputations.

Instead, young people should defend their reputations as the valuable resource that it is. Boaz, for example, could speak of Ruth’s reputation as being impeccable. Everyone around knew the kind of woman that she was:

And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. (Ruth 3:11)

Young men need to protect their reputations, but they also have a responsibility to protect the reputations of the girls that they are dating as well. It may be “macho” to talk about sexual conquests in the locker room at school, but Christians should be more concerned about remaining pure and defending the good name that they should be working hard to develop. If a young man respects the girl he is dating, he will never put her in a position for her reputation to be questioned, and he will defend her good reputation if the need arises!

I am simply amazed when I hear young people (and sometimes not-so-young people) say that it doesn’t matter what others think about their actions. I have had people tell me that they can spend the night with their boyfriend/girlfriend, as long as they are not participating in fornication,  without worrying about what others might think. This type of practice not only puts people into compromising positions, but it causes others to believe that they are involved in sin. It does matter what others think about us, if we are putting forth the illusion of sin! Young people, remember to protect your good name by making sure that you give no opportunity for the wicked to speak against you, your dates, the Lord or His church! Also remember that Paul told Timothy that he shouldn’t allow others to despise his youth, but he also told him to be a good example for all (1 Timothy 4:12-13). He wasn’t to be prejudged for his youth, but if he was acting in a manner that was contrary to the good example, he deserved to be disparaged! So, be a good example in everything, and never put yourself into a circumstance that will make others doubt your actions and your devotion to the Lord!

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