It was a Sunday morning and she was in a hurry to get to her Bible class on time. Perhaps hoping to eliminate the evidence of a “little” glass of wine imbibed earlier, she stopped at a local Dunkin’ Donuts for a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, the “little glass of wine” she drank earlier betrayed her and she drove through a fence in the Dunkin’ Donuts driveway.
Drunk? On the way to church? It doesn’t sound right, does it? No, but it is becoming more common for professing Christians to behave in ways that are contrary to what the Bible authorizes and approves.
Two columns over from that story was the news of a “Reverend” from a church that has been getting a lot of publicity lately from political sources. That “Reverend” had been given a two-month-suspension from his duties as their preacher because he had been involved in an “affair” with the wife of one of his parishioners. The woman claimed he had promised to marry her, and she was angry because she did not think his punishment was enough for the “crime” he had committed.
Two lessons are immediately seen in these news stories. The first is that some “study” the Bible but pay little attention to what it teaches. What good can that do anyone? The “drunk” woman on her way to Bible study must have missed the part found in 1 Corinthians 6:10 and Galatians 5:19-21.
The second lesson we learn is that it appears that the “Bible study” she was attending may have left out that part of the Bible – the part that forbids drunkenness. Maybe it was the preacher we just read about who was directing the “Bible study.” If he could miss the passages about adultery found in Ephesians 5:3-6 and Colossians 3:5, perhaps he missed the passages on alcohol and drunkenness, too.
It may be a surprise to some of us to discover that some preachers just leave out the parts they do not like. I once had a student who had taken a razor blade and eliminated several verses in the book of Mark. Usually, people are a bit more subtle than that, and preachers have their own “reasons” for leaving those passages out.
If there is one principle clearly and forcefully stated in God’s word, it is that one who is a Christian must act in ways that are in harmony with their claim to being in Christ. You cannot truthfully claim to follow Christ when in fact your actions shout that you are following Satan.
No, Christians are not perfect, and none of us are entirely free from sin, Romans 3:10, 23. But we are told to “shine as lights” for the benefit of “a crooked and perverse nation,” Philippians 2:15 – not be the best or worst example of a “Christian hypocrite.”
What was that woman thinking when she got “drunk” while getting ready to go to a Bible study? Why was she studying the Bible and then doing that which the Bible condemns? And that preacher – how could he justify violating the very things he had in some way chosen to proclaim and by which he knew he should have lived?
Now that we have given proper rebuke to people far away, let us turn our attention to ourselves. Truly, that is what we all must do. How easy it is to rebuke, to find and reveal the faults of others without recognizing our own. Where are your weaknesses? What sin tempts you to the point that you feel you cannot resist? What deeds, clearly required of Christians, do you regularly omit from your daily life?
Yes, I am getting personal, and that is part of my responsibility as a preacher of the gospel. When Paul gave Timothy his instruction in taking the gospel to the world, he – or rather the Holy Spirit – included “reprove, rebuke and exhort” in those instructions found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. All three of those words have the meaning of reminding the person instructed to live in such a way that would bring them to judgment with comfort and positive anticipation. So, here goes:
- Who stands first in your mind as you live each day – yourself and your own pleasures – or serving Christ and respecting His words?
- Do you study your Bible on a daily basis? Do you consult the word of God when making ethical and moral decisions?
- When calls for help by brethren are made, do you respond in a positive way, revealing the love we must have for each other?
- When budgeting your time what gets the most consideration – personal pleasures or what is best for your soul in God’s Kingdom?
- When budgeting your money, what priorities have you established?
- How do you respond to Jesus’ admonition to “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” Matthew 6:33? Are His word and His kingdom first in your life?
- Does your attendance at worship assemblies “provoke unto love and good works”? Or is it negligence and unbelief? See Hebrews 10:24f.
Leave all those glasses of wine alone, and drive safely. Follow the examples of those who preach, teach
and live by the gospel of Christ. You will live happier, more meaningful lives.
