Welcome to in Bolden, where through Bible scripture and commentary, we seek a bold fate, and in doing so we share the amazing love and message of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hello, I'm Chris Shatter. I'm an ordinary Christian seeking a deeper relationship with our extraordinary God. Won't you join me?
Hi friends, are you looking for a life full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and that ever-elusive self-control? Please join me over the next few weeks as we take a look at the Bible's verse in Galatians 5, 22-23, so we can experience the Christian life in full bloom. When I announced to my non-religious parents many years ago that I was going to start attending church, my mother asked why I needed religion, and my father called it a crutch. To my father, I responded, great, I'll take two, please.
It's so frequently the case when speaking to non-religious folks that they will say similar things. Who needs faith? Your religion is just a sky-dad. I don't need some fake person to tell me what is right and wrong.
I've also heard people say Christians just turn their minds off and give themselves over to a made-up God. They don't think for themselves. As for that last comment, I would say, yeah, they're half correct. Because a true and faithful Christian seeks to turn their sinful self off and submit their heart, mind, body, and soul to the one true God.
The world calls that a weakness. In fact, some twist the idea of meekness or gentleness to mean that very thing, a weakness. When the world says, we need self-praise and self-assertion, we say look to God for His will, His love, and our direction. Warren Wiersby in his commentary on Matthew 5.5 says, meekness is not weakness, for both Moses and Jesus were meek men.
The word translated meek was used by Greeks to describe a horse that had been broken. It actually refers to power under control. The world of word meek and gentle come from a similar word in Greek, prouse, and proutase. One is an adjective and one is a noun.
It's interesting, however, when you look up the word meek in the English language, you get these definitions. You get gentle and easily imposed on. Isn't that what we tend to more think when we read in the Bible that the meek are to be blessed and inherit the earth? And when we read in Galatians of the fruit of the Spirit, one being gentleness, don't we think of some sweet old person quietly living out their days in obscurity?
Someone who probably doesn't have much of an opinion about anything. And if they did, they certainly wouldn't voice it. But wouldn't that be in conflict with the full picture of Jesus? In the one place where Jesus describes the state of his own heart, he gives us a picture of what we too should mirror, a gentle and humble heart.
And yet he was a man with an opinion, a man who clearly spoke of sin, judgment, mercy, righteousness, and eternal life. He stood strong and faithful in front of those who mocked him. He was meekness under control. More importantly, gentle under God's control.
John 8, 3 through 8 says, the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst, they said to him, teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do you say? This they said to test him that they might have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more he bent down and wrote in the ground. Now as a person of action, frequently lacking in gentleness, I had always found this passage so frustrating.
I wanted Jesus to look these hypocrites on the eye and tell them all, put the full strength of God into his words and watch them melt into a cuddle of shame. But he squatted down a look of weakness it would seem and started doodling, doodling. And the world shakes their head at his apparent lack of authority and power. Here is the God you submit to, they say.
If he had any Godlike qualities, he would have given them the your fired response. And yet John 8, 9 through 11 continues. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones. And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
Jesus stood up and said to her, woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? And she said, no one, Lord. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you.
Go and from now on, send no more. Jesus brushed off his hands and shrugged. No anger needed. No smoting.
Just a gentle ripping open of those accuser's souls. And still the world misunderstands. They are so attached to the sins of pride and self-importance and the fleshly pursuits of power. Friend, the world will call you weak.
The world will say you have turned your mind over to a God. You are submissive. And your response? Tell them thank you for noticing, because it means they can see your fruit.
It may not be to their liking, but it's not the world we seek to please. I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Embolden Podcast. Be sure to follow along so you don't miss any episode. And check out my blog at Embolden.net.