Meditate On These Things

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

It makes perfect sense to me that our inner life is an ecosystem that is even more sensitive to pollution than the visible world in which we live is sensitive to pollution.  When we pollute our outer world the quality of our biological life decreases and when we pollute our inner life the quality of our spiritual life and our love decreases.

Back in the 1970s Francis Schaeffer wrote a book called  “Pollution and the Death of Man”.  Written before the global warming debates and the rise of environmentalism’s radical fringe, which makes man wholly evil and nature supremely good, Schaeffer correctly called the church and all believers to have no part in polluting anything.

Schaeffer’s point was that man glorifies God by caring for His creation not destroying it or using it for personal gain.  For Schaeffer polluting is sinful because it defaces what the Creator did.  He was right to say to the church and to every believer  “ Don’t pollute the Creation!”

In the inner life polluting is also sinful because it impedes the flow of love..  We glorify God by having a well cared for and clean inner life where love can flow freely.  When we pollute our inner life we deface love and fail to be the loving creation we were meant to be.

To the extent that we pollute our inner life we limit our ability to use our mind, emotions and will to glorify God.  When we pollute our inner life we impede the flow and delivery of love.  We are right to say to the church and to every believer  “Don’t pollute you!”
 

We would all do well to meditate on these things.

Bud McCord

Abide International

Jesus Christ Only

The Apostle Paul reached a place dealing with believers where he knew that the only focus He could use to help them calm down and grow was a Jesus Christ only focus.  Here is how he put it in his own words:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I Cor. 2:1-2

Paul’s only  Jesus Christ focus included two very important parts. First, he focused believers on who Jesus Christ really is.  Second, he focused them on what Jesus Christ really did.

Focusing a Christian only on who Jesus is and what Jesus did seems too limited.  It seems like the Christian would never be able to become what the Father wants with such a limited focus. 

It may seem that way at first, but anyone who has learned Jesus for who He is and what He did will never say it is not enough.

Paul came to this conclusion because the Scriptures and his own experience with who Jesus is and what Jesus did was the only thing that calmed him down and made him grow. He was the one who wrote “Jesus is all and is in all.”  Col. 3:11

It would be wonderful if the churches of today thought this highly of Jesus again.

Bud McCord

Abide International