The Amazing Heart

Here are some thoughts that I have shared in depth in a study of the heart at Sugar Plain. You might be interested in doing more research.

Several year ago I joined a group called HeartMath. This research group has specialized in the study of the heart. The information they have discovered is amazing. What is even more amazing, is that the Bible has shown the importance of the heart in our spiritual life long before the present day research.. The heart is the first organ developed in the body and it plays a major role in our spiritual growth.

The scriptures plainly teach the importance of the heart of man in his relationship and service to God. Forgiveness of the sins of others must be from the heart and we are to have a pure heart (Matt. 18: 28-35; 5: 8). Jesus stressed the urgency of purity of heart thus: "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5: 8). Yet very few understand the significance of the heart in its relationship to our spiritual life.

For centuries, the heart has been considered the source of emotion, courage and wisdom. Researchers have found that the heart communicates with the brain influencing information processing, perception, emotions and health. What was found by researchers was that the heart rhythms had a tremendous effect on the emotional states and stress. Researchers found that negative emotions lead to increased disorder in the heart’s rhythms and in the autonomic nervous system and how it adversely affects the rest of the body.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45

The heart is more than a simple pump. The heart is, in fact, a highly complex, self-organized information processing center with its own functioning “brain” that communicated with the cranial brain through the nervous system, hormonal system and other pathways. The influences have a profound affect on brain function and most of the body’s major organs, determining the quality of life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life. Prov. 4:23

The heart’s nervous system contains round 40,000 neurons, called sensory neurites, which detect circulating hormones and neurochemicals and sense heart rated and pressure information. Hormonal, chemical, rates and pressure information is translated into neurological impulses by the heart’s nervous system and sent from the heart to the brain through several afferent pathways. It is from these nerve pathways enter the brain in the area called the medulla, located in the brain stem. The signals have a regulatory role over many of the autonomic nervous system signals that flow out of the heart, blood vessels and other glands and organs. However, they also cascade up into the high centers of the brain, where they may influence perception, decision making and other cognitive processes.
In our internal environments many different organs and systems contribute to the patterns that ultimately determine our emotional experience. However, research has shown that the heart plays an important role in how it functions as a sophisticated information encoding and processing center, and possesses a far more developed communication system with the brain. With every beat, the heart transmits complex patterns of neurological, hormonal, pressure and electromagnetic information to the brain and throughout the body. The heart is uniquely positioned as powerful entry point into the communication network that connect body, mind, emotions and spirit.

The heart communicates with the brain and the body. It does this by four methods:
• nervous system connections
• hormones produced in the heart itself
• bio mechanical information via blood pressure waves
• energetic information from the strong electrical and electromagnetic fields.

The fact that the heart produces hormones released into the blood stream affecting all of the body was first demonstrated 30 years ago and has led to tests routinely performed in hospitals across the country.

Researchers describe the brain and nervous system as a distributed parallel processing system consisting of separate but interacting groups of neuronal processing centers distributed throughout the body. The heart has its own intrinsic nervous system that operates independently of the brain or nervous system.

There is more information sent from the heart to the brain on a daily basis by the four methods listed above then the brain sends to the heart. In fact, the neurons within the heart enable the heart to learn, remember, and make decisions independent of the brain's cerebral cortex. The heart emits an electrical field 60 times greater in amplitude than the activity in the brain and an electromagnetic field 5,000 times stronger that of the brain. It not only can be measured anywhere on the body (using an EKG with electrodes on the ankles and wrists) but also for several feet outside the body, too.
The electromagnetic field of two individuals (human or pet and human), touching or within a few feet of each other can interact so that energy activity in the heart of one individual is measured in the brain waves of the other. The act of touch for healing therapies can be hypothesized to be due to this method of communication.

The electrical activity of the heart and the brain can be guided into a synchronous electrical rhythm easily measured and displayed by simply focusing on positive and loving emotions emanating from the heart. This state of organ “coherence” is associated with improved higher level functioning, lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, and improved immune system function. This is the reason Christians are to think on what is good.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:8

After several years of studying the heart, I am learning that exciting scientific findings are providing a dramatically different understanding of the heart and its relationship with the brain, the human body and our spiritual life. In the Old Testament the heart is mentioned as the center of man relationship with God. It is a new heart that is created in the repentant sinner- Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Ps.51:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:10 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, Eph 3:17

Truly, we have been designed by an awesome Creator.

Parents Who Enable

This is not written to be critical of anyone's parenting style.  It is only an observation of those who have been enablers of adult children and are frustrated at how their adult children depend on them.

I am thankful we raised our three sons to be independent of their mom and dad.  Very seldom has our sons needed our help. The area in which they depend on mom and dad is taking care of grandchildren which is not a burden.  All three sons have had times of financial struggle, but they seem to manage.  As parents, we have not been enablers of our sons.  However, I have on several occasions counseled with parents who are racked by guilt for being wary every time their son or daughter calls them or stops by to “visit.”

It is the same story over and over again.  No money for a car payment, no money for food, no money for clothes for the baby or even we don’t have money to feed our dogs or cats.  As a parent, you hate to see your children suffer so you say, “This is the last time I can help you” but you and them both know you have said this so many times before. You agree and give them the money they want, and they promise like they have so many times to pay you back.  Your thoughts are how did my kids get in such a mess and will they ever be able to stand on their own two feet?

My only advice to these parents has been stop enabling them to be a failure.  Enabling is fixing problems for others and doing so in a way that interferes with growth and responsibility. Do you create an enabling dynamic for your adult child? If he or she, for example, buys a new iPhone instead of paying rent this would result in a consequence of losing an apartment. An enabler rushes in and removes the consequence, giving the adult child no reason or opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. 

One observation I have made over the years is parents who are on the road to becoming enablers are the same parents who have never been able to say, No! to their child and make it stick.  Children have been trained by their parents to keep asking until they get what they want.  The end results are when they are adults the have been taught they will be rescued by their parents. If you try to save your adult child every time he or she is in trouble, you may be making things worse in the long run. Do you struggle with knowing where to draw that fine line between letting them learn how to stand on their own two feet and bailing them out? Parents for sure, need to be thoughtful about how to assist their adult children without enabling them.

Adult children who remain overly dependent on their parents are allowed to get into this situation because their parents enable them. Perhaps this relationship dynamic stems from parents who want to be needed. Some parents feeling the only time their children love them is when they come to them for help. Setting boundaries with your adult child can sometimes be the best thing to do, even when it is hard to say, “I am here to listen, and I will pray for you, but I also think you will feel better about yourself if you figure this out on your own.”

Whether you’ve got a 45 year-old, daughter who keeps asking for money while falsely claiming she will pay you back, or a 50 year old son who just can’t keep a job, adult children who behave immaturely can be stressful.  It can be very challenging for parents to set limits with adult children whom have become overly dependent. The parents often feel drained and emotionally depleted. They want their child to be happy on his own, yet they live in fear of not doing enough to help their child get there. This is by no means an easy situation!

There are parents who have tried to rescue their child in every situation of life including, money, marriage, parenting, and personal relationship with their friends.  While this may all seem like you care you send the message that you will bail them out of their troubles and support them no matter the financial mess they are in, the number of marriages they go through, you will even go so far as to raise their children and get involved in the squabbles with their friends.

With every parent, I have spoken with, it is the same, they are afraid of hurting their child, and yet they feel they can’t go on feeling used, resentful and burnt out from the way their child treats them.  Many enabling parents sacrificed so much for their children that they are in financial jeopardy of losing their own homes.  The end results are they rely on others to bail them out of their problems so they can continue to bail out their children.

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 15, there are three stories told by Jesus: the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son.  In two of the stories, someone went looking for the lost item, the coin, and the sheep.  What is interesting is that no one went looking for the lost son. The son had to come to the place in his life that he realized that he must change who he was in life.  He was willing to become a slave to change.  As we know this did not happen, he was accepted as a son who was once dead but was now alive.  The father’s love had not changed, he still loved his son.  It was the son who changed when he came to his senses.  Parents need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of their children.  They must come to the place in their life that they realize they must change.  This change cannot happen if you as a parent continue to bail them out of their problems.  Just as in the case of the lost son, he had to realize that he must change. 

I have often asked parents what will happen to your children when you can no longer bail them out of their problems?  The answer is the same, “They will have to learn how to get along.”   My next question is, “Who is going to teach them to get along?

The Proverb about train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from that training applies to bad training as well.  If you have trained a child to be dependent on you when they need bailed out from their problems, when they are old they will expect you to continue to bail them out.  When you are gone they will turn to others to do the same thing you taught them to do- don’t take responsibility for your actions.

Enabling parents created an entitled generation.  Politician have used this “entitled” mentality to gain political power and turn our country into a socialist nation.  When parents can no longer bail out their children, the government will.  The can get free needles for their drug use, if they overdose they can get free Narcan to revive them, they can get free abortion pills,  they can get food, clothes, and shelter all at the cost of others. 

If there is to be a change in the lives of your children, it will take the transforming power of Jesus Christ to bring about change.  Do not abandon your children, pray for them, give them good council, do not become adversarial, be supportive of them making a change in their life, understand they can no longer depend on you to bail them out of their problems.  Be calm, firm and non-controlling when you speak with them.  Pray with them when they come to you asking the LORD to give them guidance and wisdom in their choices in life.  They may become angry and make unfounded accusation that you do not love them, they may threaten you with never speaking to you again, they may even say they hate you.  Remain calm and tell them you understand their frustration and anger.

This will not be easy on you, but it will be the beginning of directing them to an independent life.  Do not give up hope.  Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to them until they come to their senses and want to change their life.  

For legal reasons I must add this disclaimer:

Information found on this site is meant to motivate you to make healthy choices based on your own research in parenting. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Always seek the advice of qualified Christian councilors. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site! Reliance on any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.

Truth

I have taught many classes on various Bible topics over the 48 years of my ministry. A statement I make at the beginning of the study is this, after this study there will be things that you will learn that you will not be able to share with others because they do not have the same knowledge base you now have and will not believe you are telling the truth.

When you share the truth, you risk losing everything you have, including those you love. It is almost like there is a curse attached to truth. Sharing the truth from the Scriptures jeopardizes everything you have accumulated in this life, your relationships, your possessions, your reputation. Depending on where you live it has cost believers their life.

We live in a world where Satan, the Father of Lies, has constructed falsehoods that have deceived many into believing that they are doing what is right. American Christian families have allowed their children to be propagandized in school to accept that homosexuals and so-called gender personalities are normal variations of human behavior. Then when the parents try to explain that this is not God’s plan and contrary to acceptable behavior by Christian standards they are brought face-to-face with the fact their children have been radically changed to accept the lies of Satan. The forces of evil are not out to just destroy the family they are out to have full domination of the world.

What makes accepting the lies so heartbreaking is that when we do share the truth with those we love, who accept the lies they have been taught, they try to convince you of the wisdom of believing in the lies for the simple purpose of keeping the peace. What they fail to understand is that lies are like inflation. As the lie becomes bigger you will soon see the worthlessness of believing the lies when you have nothing, it will be too late to cry out and plead that you didn’t know.

People who try and share the truth with those who lack the knowledge base and understanding of  the truth will be hard to convince of the accuracy of the truth shared. If it has not been on television, the majority of people will not accept the truth.

The true followers of Jesus Christ have tried to tell you about the lies that are ruining your life and they have risked their friendship with you for their effort to expose you to the truth. You, however, continue to accept the lies you hear from politicians, movie stars, talk show host and cynical teachers who all tell you to continue to accept the lies. All the while the people who really care about you are abandoned for the lies.

It takes courage to tell the truth knowing that you are risking everything when you do. Most people cannot accept the truth. When Jesus shared the truth, many followed Him no more. They rejected Him because the lie was easier to believe than the truth. We are faced with the same response when we share the truth. We also run the risk of being rejected. What you must understand is the reality is that truth separates, it is not so much you they reject but the truth you represent.

Preferences or Conviction

There is a phenomenon that has grown somewhat during my lifetime that I feel has constantly caused disunity among the very folks that need unity. The folks involved are the conservative, Holiness and Evangelical groups. I see constant division and lack of fellowship because of beliefs that are different. This is amazing seeing that most of these groups use the same Bible (KJV). What I see has nothing to do with individual growth and maturing in the Lord. These main problems stem from the leaders and older saints who will not live by scripture. Instead they enjoy living by their personal convictions, which have become their standard of holiness. De 12:32 "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." It is sad that some even are proud and boastful of having standards above normal holiness. At some point, pride always leads to destruction. Who do you think you are to receive a standard that no one else has?

This has come about through misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit. You may recall hearing people say that a scripture means one thing to one person and another thing to the other person. The Bible is of no "private interpretation" and that means the Spirit inspired and meant what He meant, not what folks need or want at the time. We make the scripture too blurry by using this manner to interpret the Bible. The Holy Spirit had ONE thing in mind with each verse He inspired. He did not intend for the Word to be fuzzy and omni-directional. Our duty is to pray and fast that the Spirit will show us what He meant, while we are reading the Holy Scripture. Most verses are clear to a truly saved person. Few verses need special help. Too many people discuss what they think God wants, and do too little reading to really see what He wants.

This also happens in personal lives. When one individual states that the Spirit told him something, yet the same Spirit told another individual the opposite or different manner of living. This is impossible! God cannot have double standards. He is a God of equity! What is wrong? Men would rather preach their personal convictions than the clear, saving gospel of Jesus Christ! It is easy to come up with a manner of life change, in your mind, and THEN get some scripture to back up what you FEEL. Yet we are actually supposed to study scripture and let the scripture show us the changes needed in our lives. (Most sermons and lessons consist of very little scripture and lots of opinion.) One sad result is that many people will not follow clear scripture unless they feel "convicted" to follow it. "Doers of the Word" are always blessed

It is my belief that there is no such thing as personal convictions related to ones salvation and that individuals use this expression to justify their personal preferences of salvation.  One man may have been saved in a barn and another saved in a church, each feels the only way to experience salvation is by the method of their personal experience.  This idea of personal conviction has been misused and became a tool of disunity (which is an abomination to God). Many churches do not associate because they don't have the same personal convictions. If something is wrong for me, it is wrong for every Christian in the world. If it is to be done by me, it ought to be done by every Christian in the world.

When a believer had an area in his life that caused a struggle (NOT SIN) and the Spirit had to nudge him to control that area; he dropped that area instead of controlling it and proceeded to preach that it was wrong to do that area. Example: A person may get involved in fishing, hunting, shopping, working, etc too much. God will always call for you to moderate your life with Him as the center and forefront of your heart. Anything that threatens to keep you from His Lordship will cause jealousy on His part and He will move your heart to be careful! Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." He is not threatened by your fishing, etc. unless it gets too much attention. We are to moderate our lives to put Him in supremacy. Yet many will feel this call to take care and stop it altogether; THEN they will preach it is a sin to do the thing they should have controlled. My father stopped drinking coffee because someone told him that it was as bad as drinking a beer.  It contains a drug—caffeine and it harmed your body.  For several years my father felt he couldn’t drink coffee.  Then one day he started again.  Someone asked him why he was drinking coffee when he had a conviction against it.  His reply, I thought it was my conviction but found out it was someone else’s.  If it was wrong for him then it would be wrong for everyone. 

Now we have splintered groups who won't fellowship because they have different convictions that have no Bible basis. If you ask them about it, they say, "It's just my personal conviction". There are enough things to do and not do that are in plain Bible English that would keep us reaching for a closer walk for years.

These personal convictions eventually replace God's Word as the guideline for holiness in some hearts. Sermons and classes begin to be based on these "convictions" rather than clear Bible teaching. The next step leads to a "holier-than-thou" feeling which then breeds the disunity. Many well-meaning men became cultic in their groups because of "personal convictions" separating them.  A good example is a church  where the women were under strict dress standards and you are judged by your outward standard of dress rather than by your relationship with Jesus Christ.

You know that God has only one standard of holiness. All who meet that standard (by grace and gracious works) will live forever and reign with Jesus Christ. Anything above and beyond that standard is useless. Anything less will be judged by a righteous God.

Now this brings me to the legal aspect of personal convictions (preference) and Bible convictions.

The United States of America Supreme Court said a man can't hold those beliefs as convictions if he can't describe them. A belief is not a hunch or feeling and it is not "it seems to me." The Court must know why you believe that? Show proof of your beliefs in the Bible." Most people will say "I don't even know if it is in the Bible but it sorta seems to me ..." and the Court says that the problem with "well it seems to me" is that feelings change rapidly and as a consequence they are not going to honor hunches, feelings or "it seems to me." You must be able to take your beliefs straight from the Bible and the Bible only, and then make them oral.

The second thing the Court said that you must be able to have knowledge of those beliefs. This becomes important because we like to hide behind a title. We say "I am a Christian." Those are descriptive terms. Can you tell the Court what that means? It is not simply enough to tell the Court a general term. You must tell the Court what those terms mean. In this matter of many beliefs and believers, the Court suddenly realized there had to be a test. It said there must be a way that we can determine which beliefs are to be upheld and which beliefs will not be honored and protected by the First Amendment.

 The Yoder Case, Religious Freedom, Education, and Parental Rights by Shawn Francis Peters is a good place to start to understand personal convictions and Bible based convictions.

In 1972, the Court came down with a test which involved Christian education. A man named Jonas Yoder who lived in the State of Wisconsin, was an Amish man. He told the State of Wisconsin "I am not going to send my children to your schools anymore." The state of Wisconsin said, in effect, "you can't do that. You have to send your children to our schools." Yoder said "I don't think you hear me. I am not going to send my children to your schools." The state said, in effect, "Mr. Yoder, if you don't send your children to our schools, we will have to arrest you.

They took him to Court and he didn't do so well. He lost and the court said "Now you had your day in Court. Send your kids to our school." He said "I am not going to."

He lost his appeal and they said "Send your kids." And he said. "I am not going to do it." Finally, he got to the US Supreme Court and they said to Mr. Jonas Yoder "You don't have to send your kids to that school because the First Amendment protects you." With this case, they laid down the test that is now to be used on all subsequent cases to determine which beliefs are to be protected and which are not to be protected.

The first thing the Court did in defining the test was to say this. "It doesn't matter what your belief structure is, or who you are, every single religious belief you have is one of two types." They said it is either a CONVICTION or a PREFERENCE. The Court said that is all there is. We don't find that there is any other type of belief.

Then the Court went on to define the two. Because in the United States of America only CONVICTIONS are protected by the constitution. PREFERENCES are not.

What is a PREFERENCE? This is a very strong belief. It is a belief that you hold with great intensity and strength. In fact, that belief can be so strongly held that you can go into full time service in the name of that belief. You can be a minister of the gospel, a Christian school teacher or a missionary. Indeed, this is a strong belief. The second thing that makes this belief strong is that it is a belief that you can hold with such intensity that you give all or most of your wealth to it. I don't know very many people who have given everything. The Court said you can do that and still have only a preference.

The third thing is that your belief can have such strength and fiber to it you can be energetic in proselytizing other people. You can stand on the street corner and witness. The Court said you can have all of that zeal and still only have a PREFERENCE.

Then notice one final thing. They said you can be so convinced that this belief is good that you want to teach it to your children. Now that is a very important thing. We can hold our faith so dear that we want our children to live the by that same faith so they will go to heaven. The Court said you can believe all of that and still only have a PREFERENCE. Here is what makes a belief a PREFERENCE. It is a very strong belief but it is a belief that you will change. You prefer it. That is why we call it a PREFERENCE. But you will change that belief under some circumstances.

The courts have reviewed these circumstances and have found some circumstances that cause people to change their beliefs. Circumstance number one is called 'peer pressure'. A minister studies the Bible and says to himself "here is something I know I must do." He resolves in his heart that he is going to do it. Then he goes out to his friends, other ministers and people in his congregation and states "this is what I am going to do." The other ministers say "hold on just a minute. You may be right. We don't say that you are wrong. But couldn't you tone it down just a little bit? Couldn't you fix it so that we could cooperate with you? Couldn't you come around just a little bit so that is not so offensive to us and maybe you could still get done what you wanted to do." That minister said "this is what I believe." Then little by little he bends. And he proves that what he first said was a PREFERENCE. He preferred it. He wanted to do it. He resolved to do it. But he changed. The Court said that if you can change that belief, that belief is a PREFERENCE.

If a person can ever show you from the Bible where you should change something then you must change it. But we are talking about peer pressure causing good men to change. The Court said if that will change it, it is only a PREFERENCE. There is another area we see peer pressure all the time. Ministers and leaders in the Church come to us and say "I agree with everything you are saying but how am I going to go home and sell that to the congregation back at the church? The people in the church may not agree." That minister or leader knows what he believes is right but the pressure of the people in his congregation causes him to bend. The Court said if you can do that you have a PREFERENCE.

Secondly, they noted a cause of change may be family pressure. That is probably one of the strongest pressures I know of. A man says "this is what I am going to do." His wife says "please don't. You know what is right, but please don't. We just got everything settled; let's not blow it wide open again." And as a consequence that man changes his beliefs. The Court said if 'family pressure' will cause you to change, then your beliefs are PREFERENCES.

A third area of strong pressure which brings out preferences is a lawsuit. I know a lot of men who will say "I am for this but I am just not going to get sued over it. Can you imagine what they are going to do if they sue us?"  This will not cut it in court.

The next area the Court noted that caused people to change was the threat of jail. Would you go to jail for a matter of your faith? Not many are going to understand why you have gone. If you read the histories of the great men of the faith, when they went to jail hardly anyone understood why they went. Although many of the great men of the faith did go at one time or another, would going to jail cause you to change your beliefs? If it would, then your beliefs are PREFERENCS.

The question is, what does that belief mean to you? If you say that you want to do it but have the right not to do it if I don't want to do it, the Court says that is not protected by the Constitution. The last thing the Court said is, "I suppose that a man has to be prepared to die for his belief." Is that belief changeable? You know there are not many things in this life worse than dying, and denying the faith is one of them. Basically, the Court said "would you die for your beliefs?"

A CONVICTION on the other hand, is a belief that you will not change. Why? What creates a conviction? The Court said only one thing. A CONVICTION is when a man believes that his God requires it of him. A belief that is God ordered is a CONVICTION. It is a matter of believing with all of your heart that God requires something of you. The Court said "when you believed that your God has required something of you, you will withstand all of the tests they have spoken about." The Court said that the first thing you should decide, is your belief a CONVICTION or is it a PREFERENCE? Is your belief God ordered? PREFERENCES are simply not protected by the constitution.

Now that Court noted another interesting point about this and it parallels with a story in scripture about the three Hebrews; Shadrack. Meshack and Abednego. The Court said a CONVICTION is not something you 'discover'. It is something you 'purpose'. It is not something you accidentally come across, but something you purpose in your heart as a fabric of your belief system. The Court said your CONVICTIONS will be 'purposed'.

When you study the history of the three Hebrews found in the third chapter of Daniel, you will find that they did a strange thing. When taken into captivity, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves. It was something about which they determined with resolve. The Court said your convictions must be determined by you or else those CONVICTIONS will not be there. If you require people to stand with you before you will stand, your beliefs are PREFERENCES and not CONVICTIONS.

Today we see many well meaning leaders in our Church say, "I believe that I ought to stand for this issue but I will only stand if some church authority tells me I should stand. If I can find some other people to stand with me, then I will stand." The question has to be asked, "as great as those people may be, what do they have to do with what God requires of you?" If other people have to stand with you before you will stand, your beliefs are PREFERENCES and not CONVICTIONS.

Now you remember what happened to the three Hebrews. They were taken before the king and the king was upset. He said "Do you know what you have done?" Before they could even answer the king, he did a strange thing. He broke the law. He said, "I am going to give you a second chance. The next time, when those instruments play, if you bend down (worship) all will be well. If not, nobody is going to deliver you out of my hands. You are dead men."

Now you know what I think most of us would have done? I believe most of us would have said, "Praise the Lord, we are alive! We are breathing! God has given us another chance!" We would have been excited. The three Hebrews did not do that. They said "King, we don't have to be careful how we answer you because if you give us another chance or not, nothing is going to change. We have resolved we are not going to bow and that is not going to change."

What the three Hebrews were telling the king is "this matter of our faith is non-negotiable!" The Court said if you can discuss the negotiation of your faith, your faith is a matter of PREFERENCE and not CONVICTION because CONVICTIONS are non-negotiable.

Why? How do you negotiate something that is God ordered? The Court said you can't. So if they can get you into a dialogue where you negotiate, the Court said this is a matter of PREFERENCE and not CONVICTION.

Lets recall what the three Hebrews said because it is right on point. "King, we believe that our God can deliver us, but even if you throw us into that furnace and God does not deliver us we are not going to bow." What they were saying to the king is "whether we come out of the furnace or not our beliefs stand firm." The Court said if you must be assured of victory before you stand, your beliefs are PREFERENCES and not CONVICTIONS. This is the test they are narrowing in on more and more because most of us are more concerned with 'winning' then with 'standing'. Bear this in mind, in the Christian faith we do not fight 'for' victory, we fight 'in' victory.

A CONVICTION, they say, will always show up in a person's lifestyle. They said "What is on the inside of a man is always going to show on the outside of a man. You do not have the right to say you have a CONVICTION unless we can somehow see that you are living that CONVICTION with some element of consistency.

However, when they begin to apply the test people began to squirm. They ask "Do they have this right?" The Bible says a strange thing about this. Found in the book of James, "Don't tell me about your faith, show me your faith." Why? Because "faith without works is dead." It is like a body without the spirit. It may be there, but it is meaningless. It is 'dead'. Because the thing that provides the breath that gives life to our faith is our works. If that is absent, then it is all useless. Therefore the Court came back and said "We need to see your faith in action and we need to see it in order to prove that it is sincerely a CONVICTION."

What we need to learn is this. If we say that our belief is a matter of CONVICTION, then where did, and now do, we get our CONVICTIONS from? Where do we get all our beliefs from? Don't we get them from the Bible? When a child comes to Church school for the first time, don't we teach that child that to disobey what the Bible says is a sin? Could it be that the Court says the opposite of CONVICTION is SIN? You must be able to make a stand and prove it from the Bible. And you must keep standing for that or else it is not a conviction. If the Bible requires it, it is God ordered. If it is God ordered, it is a CONVICTION. If it is a CONVICTION and if God ordered it, what is it called not to do it? It is a sin, because it is disobedience to what God has ordered. That is the classic definition of sin.

So before you say something is a CONVICTION, you must be prepared to take a stand to say if I don't take a stand it would be a sin. If you say "I have a CONVICTION about certain matters of a Christian lifestyle - the refraining from the use of alcohol - you must say the opposite is a sin or it is not a CONVICTION. A person who says "I believe I ought to do something, but I think I should be more tolerant, a little more open minded about this," his beliefs are only a PREFERENCE and the Court says "make up your mind what you believe!"

Holiness

Holiness is a matter of action and motivation, conduct and character, divine grace and human effort, obedience and submission and commitment to the will of God. Those who are sanctified are committed to people, self-discipline, self-giving, righteous and loving. It is a matter of Spirit-led individuals who walk with the LORD and display the fruit of the Spirit. To put it simply—we imitate Jesus Christ.

Our spiritual life is held together by patient, persistent righteousness, (doing right) by taking the side of God against sin in our own lives and the lives of others; of worshiping God in the Spirit as one who serves in the world with a single-minded, wholehearted, free and glad consecration to the business of pleasing God.

In the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in the 17th chapter of John he is praying that God may sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. Our sanctification does not take place in a vacuum, but within the framework of our taking part of the nature of Jesus Christ by his Holy Spirit. Our sanctification is the outward working of our being in Christ and Christ being in us--filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

To be holy means to be set apart and consecrated to the service of the LORD. Purification from sin is a precondition of our consecration. To be sanctified is to be dedicated to no ordinary service but reserved in the service of the LORD. The place of our service is in the world; we do not serve God by withdrawing from the world in a sacred and protected community but by engagement with the world and involvement in this life. The LORD prayed that his follower would travel safely in this world spreading the gospel of truth into the territory where Satan still holds influence. It is our duty to serve by helping to quench the thirsty by offering the Waters of Life, to feed the hungry with the Bread of Life and to shine the Light of the World in the darkness to guide the lost and wandering to Jesus Christ the Savior of the World.

Holy living requires us to engage with the lives of our neighbors, to become involved in the secular and impersonal structures of the institutions of the world. The value of our service lies in our difference from the world, even though we are in the world we are not of the world. Even though we live in this world we do not owe our allegiance to this world but only to the LORD who gave his life for us. We are called to be involved in our world, but we serve without conforming to its attitudes, mindsets and behaviors. We must take care that our engagement in the world does not become assimilation and immersion in the attitudes and mindsets of the world. Our values lie not in our friendships but with our differences from the accepted conventions of a godless society.

The nature of our service is based on the reason why we are different. We are different not because we wish to be opinionated, unattractive, backward, or better than others. We are different because we have been sanctified by the truth of God’s word. The truth can only be revealed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We are different because we are people of the Gospel which is the message of TRUTH-Jesus Christ.

I would give this caution, that we not become arrogant and intolerant of those who do not have the truth. If we are truly set apart for service of the master we will follow his example. Look how he interacted with his world-- he healed a grumpy old man at a pool-side, protected an adulterous woman, washed the feet of his disciples and associated with the common man and sinners, he engaged with the both religious and political leaders of the day and still remained righteous and holy. Our proper response to the world is to learn to think the thoughts of God and to live in conformity to his WORD.

It is from this relationship we have with God that the obligation of holiness flows from our heart. Because we are loved, we love, because we have been forgiven, we forgive, because we are united with God we are united with our fellow believers by the giving and receiving of their love and forgiveness. Out of this flows our mission to the world. We are modeling the life of Jesus Christ to those who do not know him. He said if I be lifted up, I will draw men to me. Christian holiness is more than an experience of grace; it becomes social and not individual in nature. It is something shared and not hidden.

We must give of ourselves totally to God and the doing of his will, just as Jesus did. Anything less than total consecration falls short of the dedication we see in him who sanctified himself that we too may be truly sanctified. To experience the life our LORD wants us to life we must surrender to His will.