Russell Mckinney's Blog

Straight Talk About God and Life

For His Name’s Sake

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3)

Obviously, there are a good many profound truths to be found in these three verses, but I would specifically like to draw your attention to the last part of verse 3. David says of the Lord, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

These verses describe Jesus as the shepherd and Christians as His sheep. Christ’s name isn’t actually used in the verses, but He certainly had this passage in mind when He said in John 10:11,14,27: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep…I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own…My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

And so, Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His own name. If I can get this one truth burned into your mind I will have accomplished something. Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness so that His very name will not be besmirched, soiled, or damaged.

Does walking in the paths of righteousness help the individual Christian? Of course, it does. Does a Christian walking in the paths of righteousness make the world a better place? Of course, it does. But I’m not talking about those ideas right now. Right now I’m hammering on the fact that Jesus leads Christians in the paths of righteousness for the purpose of protecting His own name.

In your mind’s eye, I want you to go with me back to a scene in ancient Israel. Let’s tag along and watch as a local shepherd leads a flock of sheep. As we walk along behind the shepherd, we observe that he seems to be doing an adequate job of leading his sheep. Now it is time, though, for the sheep to eat, and we are interested in how the shepherd will handle that need. We are also aware that once the sheep have filled their stomachs they will want to lie down and rest a while.

With this in our minds, we watch as for some unknown reason the shepherd leads the sheep right past a beautiful, green pasture that would provide perfect food and rest for the sheep. The shepherd seems to have another place in mind as he leads the flock onward. Finally, he brings them to an almost barren, rocky piece of ground. There are just a few sparse patches of grass growing here and there. This is where the shepherd has been headed all along.

The sheep try to eat, but there isn’t enough grass to fill their stomachs. Pretty soon they give up and lie down. They don’t get much rest, though. The ground is far too hard and rocky.

After watching this, we begin to wonder about the shepherd’s judgment. Still, we want to give him the benefit of the doubt, and so we wait around until it is time for him to again put the sheep on the move. The sheep have had their time of eating and resting. Now it is time for them to get some water.

We tag along as the shepherd leads the sheep to an outstanding watering-hole. The waters are still and quiet. We’ve heard that sheep don’t like rushing waters. They can’t swim very well and are terrified of swift currents. Sheep like calm, still, quiet waters. This hole is just right.

But the shepherd shakes his head in disapproval. In his opinion, these waters won’t do. Onward he leads the sheep. Eventually, there is the sound of a rushing stream and the shepherd picks up his pace. He gets to the swift stream, brings the sheep to the water’s edge, and waits for them to start drinking.

The sheep, however, are overly cautious. They won’t go near the dangerous current. Their fear keeps them from getting the water that at this point they desperately need.

After a while, the shepherd realizes that the sheep aren’t going to drink the water, and so he begins again with his leading. The sheep are hungry and tired because the shepherd walked past the green pastures. They are thirsty because he shunned the quiet waters. It’s obvious to us that the sheep need to be refreshed, revived, and restored. Still, the shepherd pushes them onward.

We follow close behind, by now completely bewildered at the shepherd’s actions. Over the remaining course of the day, we watch as he leads those sheep to places that sheep have no business going. He leads them in precarious paths that run along the edges of cliffs. He leads them in dangerous paths that run by places where lions are known to suddenly attack. He leads them in rough paths that run through ditches and briars. Finally, we have seen enough and make our way back to town.

Once we get into town, a man comes up to us and says, “You are the people who tagged along and watched the shepherd lead his flock. Tell me, what did you think of his shepherding?” Having seen what we’ve seen, what must our answer be? We have to say that the shepherd doesn’t know how to care for sheep. We have to say that he is dangerous for sheep. We have to say that he is not to be trusted with sheep. The fact of the matter is, it is absolutely impossible for us to recommend that fellow as a shepherd. We explain this to the man who asked our opinion, and our critical words begin making their way through the town. Pretty soon, the shepherd’s reputation is ruined.

Now let’s come back to the present day. I ask you, Christian, what kind of a reputation as a shepherd does Jesus desire to have amongst the people of this world? The answer is, He wants to be known as a good shepherd. Well, how can He gain such a reputation? To gain it, He must lead us, His sheep, in the paths of righteousness. Therefore, Christian, you’ve got to realize that when you display depravity, when you persist in sin, when you fall short of holiness, when you forego paths of righteousness, you damage not only your name but also Christ’s name.

You see, as the lost people of this world watch the everyday conduct of professing Christians, it is Christ’s reputation as a shepherd that is on the line. We mar the very name of our Savior whenever we refuse to allow Him to lead us in paths of righteousness. That is a sobering thought.

Now, maybe you would say to me, “Wait a minute, Russell. I am a Christian, but I don’t always follow Christ as I should. It isn’t right, then, for Christ’s name to be soiled when He isn’t the one leading me in paths of sin.” You make a good point. The people of this world shouldn’t hold it against Jesus when a Christian refuses to live in a holy manner. But the problem is that the people of this world don’t really understand that Christ will not lead rebellious sheep. They don’t differentiate between the Christian who is living a holy life and the Christian who is backslidden. All they know is that both kinds of Christians profess to have Christ as shepherd.

Is this fair? No. Is it reality? Yes. Your fellow Christians may understand that Christ is not the leader He can be if you aren’t the follower you ought to be, but the lost people of this world won’t. That’s why, Christian, when you stand up and say to others, “Jesus Christ is my Savior,” you’d better do all that you can to ensure that you walk in those paths of righteousness.

January 9, 2010 Posted by russellmckinney | Backsliding, Character, Discipleship, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dress and Appearance, God's Will, Holiness, Influence, Personal Holiness, Sin, Temptation, obedience, separation | , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Got Your Baptismal Certificate With You?

This past Sunday at Disciples Road we observed the two ordinances that God has given the church: the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism. The Lord’s Supper points us to Christ’s death. Believer’s baptism points us to His resurrection. Each ordinance hinges upon a right understanding of its symbolism. If we don’t get the symbolism, the reason for the ordinance will be lost upon us.

The symbolism of the Lord’s Supper isn’t hard to understand. The bread symbolizes the body of Christ, that physical, human body that hung dead on the cross for the sins of the world (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19). The wine symbolizes the blood of Christ, the blood that coursed through that body, the blood that has the power to cleanse sin (Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20). As Christians eat the bread and drink the wine, we proclaim Christ’s death until He returns (1st Corinthians 11:23-26).

The symbolism of believer’s baptism isn’t complicated either. However, Christians seem to have more trouble grasping it. Baptism is a two-fold object lesson. First, it shows what has happened in the Christian’s earthly existence. Second, it shows what has happened in the Christian’s eternal existence.

Concerning the earthly existence, when the Christian goes under the water he publicly says, “I am now dead to my old, sinful way of living” (Romans 6:1-3). When he comes up from under the water he publicly says, “I am now alive to walk in the newness of the Christian life” (Romans 6:4, 6-7, 11-23).

Concerning the eternal existence, when the Christian goes under the water he publicly identifies himself with Christ’s death and burial (Romans 6:4). When he comes up from under the water he publicly identifies himself with Christ’s resurrection (Romans 6:5, 8-10). You see, by submitting to baptism, the believer says, “Because Jesus died and arose from the dead, my body will one day be resurrected as well, and I will enjoy my resurrected body throughout eternity.”

But it is that symbolism involving the Christian’s earthly existence that I want to deal with a little more. Christian, what if the minister who baptized you caught you committing a sin and said, “You are certainly not living up to your baptism.” You would probably ask, “What do you mean?” He would reply, “When you went under the water that day you were saying, ‘I am now dying to my old, sinful way of life.’ When you came up from under the water you were saying, ‘I am now alive to walk in the newness of the Christian life.’ But what you are doing right now looks like your old way of living, not the newness of the Christian life.” How would that make you feel? Would it drive home the point that getting baptized is a BIG deal? Would it remind you that the Christian is supposed to shun sin and live differently than the rest of the world?  

Perhaps it would do us good if every Christian was required to wear his baptismal certificate around his neck. That way we could be constantly reminded of exactly what it was we committed to when we got baptized. Maybe us pastors need to carry copies of those certificates around so that we can pull them out whenever we see a Christian sinning. That would make for an interesting experiment, wouldn’t it? My guess is, it would cut down on the rate of sin quite a bit.

July 28, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Baptism, Choices, Christ's Death, Christ's Resurrection, Commitment, Crucifixion, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dress and Appearance, Holiness, Personal Holiness, Rebellion, Sin, Temptation, The Lord's Supper, obedience | , , , , | No Comments Yet

My Body, A Temple

This past winter Tonya and I purchased a Bowflex machine. The plan was to get the machine assembled, let it sit in the basement until school was out, and then hit it hard during the summer. So, last week we put in our first three days of workouts on the contraption.

Of course, we are having to go this route because we’ve let ourselves get out of shape. Old people (I’m 42, she’s 40) find it hard to keep the pounds off. Parents do as well. The boys’ schedules keep us so busy that we usually have to just grab a bite when and where we can. As you might guess, those bites wouldn’t be listed in the low-fat category.

I’m well aware that 1 Timothy 4:8 says: “For bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things.” I’m also well aware that overweight Christians love that verse because it seems to dismiss the need for exercise. The fact is, though, when we consider the totality of scripture we find that God is all for Christians keeping themselves in good physical shape.

First, there are passages that vividly paint gluttony in a bad light. Proverbs 23:21 says: “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.” 1 Samuel 4:18 makes a point of saying that Eli, Israel’s high priest, was “old and heavy.” Judges 3:17 does the same with Eglon, king of Moab, saying that he was “a very fat man.” Judges 3:22 says that when Ehud stabbed Eglon with a dagger, “the fat closed over the blade.” We don’t have to think too hard to get the visual imagery of that line, do we?

Second, there is the Bible’s great teaching that the Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. According to multiple passages, the moment an individual believes in Christ as Savior, God the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside that person’s body. This experience is known as “Spirit baptism,” being “born again,” or ”regeneration” (1 Corinthians 12:13; John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5). The experience is so necessary to authentic Christianity that Romans 8:9 flatly says: “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

The presence of God the Holy Spirit inside a Christian’s body automatically makes that body the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 asks the profound question: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” You see, it isn’t the bodybuilder, the yoga expert, or the aerobics instructor whose body is a temple. Only the Christian can rightly say, “My body is a temple” because only the Christian has the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

Years ago I heard Charles Stanley preach on this subject. The outline he used stuck with me. He said the Christian’s body being the temple of the Holy Spirit should affect three things:

#1: what the Christian puts in his or her body

#2: what the Christian puts on his or her body

#3: what the Christian does with his or her body

Point #1 covers sins such as gluttony, drunkenness, and drug addiction. Each of these sins involves the Christian putting something (or at least too much of it) literally inside the body. As for me, I agree with those who would add smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and dipping snuff to this list of sins. You might get mad at me for saying that, but I think the medical evidence now clearly indicates that all of these activities are bad for one’s health. Putting it simply, they do harm to the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Point #2 covers the sins of immodest or unholy appearance. The Christian female’s wardrobe shouldn’t be a showcase for skimpy bathing suits, spray-on jeans, low-cut tops, skintight shirts, shirts that expose the midriff, crude tee shirts, or anything that exposes the undergarments. A Christian male’s wardrobe shouldn’t be a showcase for tiny speedos, low-riding pants, spray-on jeans, skintight shirts, shirts that expose the midriff, crude tee shirts, or anything that exposes the undergarments. I’m not trying to be the fashion Gestapo here, but some looks are just out of bounds for the Christian, even if those looks are “in style.”

Furthermore, I don’t think tattoos, even Christian ones, are becoming to the temple of the Holy Spirit. The fact that God forbade them among the people of Israel shouldn’t be completely dismissed as Old Testament, idol-worshipping, antiquated stuff (Leviticus 19:28). Also, any ”look” that gives the impression of gaudiness (Isaiah 3:16-23) or worldliness (Romans 12:2; Titus 2:11-12; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17) should be avoided. This gets into the realm of excessive jewelry, body-piercing, and hairdos that are designed to induce a reaction.   

Before you accuse me of legalism or label me a fanatical Puritan, ask yourself this question: “Should the Christian’s appearance bring attention to the Christian or honor to Christ?” You know the answer. We shouldn’t be trying to impress members of the opposite sex; we should be trying to please God. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 talks about women adorning themselves in modest apparrel and taking a low-key, toned-down approach to hairdos, jewelry, and clothing. 1 Peter 3:1-6 says a woman’s outward holiness should spring up from her inward holiness. I like that. The Christian (man or woman) who is wrong in some way in outward appearance isn’t where he or she needs to be in inner holiness. As the old saying goes, the heart of the problem is usually the problem of the heart.         

Point #3 covers the incredibly broad area of sinful acts done with the body. Certainly sins such as murder, adultery, and theft are on this list. But sins such as flying into an ungodly rage, lying, gambling, using profane language, and looking at pornography are as well. Basically, whenever the Christian takes the indwelling Holy Spirit along for a ride He doesn’t want to go on, that Christian defiles the temple that is his or her body.

What we, as Christians, must realize is that Jesus wants lordship over every area of our lives. That includes how we eat, how we look, and how we act. Sadly, far too many Christians simply don’t do their part to keep their temple unspotted and acceptable to the Lord. To help with this problem, let me offer a tried and true piece of advice: Christian, before you put anything in your body, on your body, or do anything with your body, ask yourself, “If I do this, will it upset the Holy Spirit who dwells inside me?”

Read James 4:5 sometime. That verse says that the Spirit who dwells within us yearns jealously. Yes, you can make the indwelling Holy Spirit jealous. When you overeat, you make Him jealous because He gets the idea that you love food more than Him. When you let your body get out of shape, He gets jealous because He gets the idea that you don’t care about His temple. When you put something sinful in your body, He gets jealous because He gets the idea that you’d rather have that something than Him. When you put something sinful on your body, He gets jealous because He gets the idea that you are more concerned about impressing others than impressing Him. When you do something sinful with your body, He gets jealous because He gets the idea that His opinion of what you should and shouldn’t do means nothing to you.

And so, in closing, I’ll ask you, the Christian, “How’s your temple looking these days?” Is it a place the Holy Spirit is proud to call home? If it’s not, you need to make the necessary repairs. That might mean starting something. On the other hand, it might mean giving up something. But whatever action the repairs call for, do it without delay. After all, nobody, even God, likes to live in a house that causes them shame.

June 17, 2009 Posted by russellmckinney | Dress and Appearance, Personal Holiness, The Holy Spirit | , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet