Follow Christ – The Words Of David C. Frampton

Mending Christians (Part One)

Galatians 6:1-2

Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (CSB).

This world is a place of where everything continually needs repair. Oh, that everything would stay in a “brand new” condition! But cars, clothes, furniture and homes all require repair work.

People, yes, Christian people, need restoration, too. And as a faithful servant of God, the apostle Paul sought to mend the broken churches of Galatia. John Flavel said the following well. “And indeed it is not so much the expense of our labors, as the loss of them, that kills us. It is not with us, as with other laborers: they find their work as they leave it, so do not we. Sin and Satan unravel almost all we do, the impressions we make on our people’s souls in one sermon, vanish before the next. How many truths have we to study! How many wiles of Satan, and mysteries of corruption, to detect! How many cases of conscience to resolve! Yea, we must fight in defense of the truths we preach, as well as study them to paleness, and preach them unto faintness: but welcome all, if we can but approve ourselves Christ’s faithful servants.”

In pursuit of this goal, Paul gives some positive, practical steps the church, meaning the people of God and not an institution, must take, as it seeks to keep in step with the Spirit.

In this post we will consider the first of three qualities of a Christian who mends other Christians.

We need to be gentle restorers (6:1a). The atmosphere in the Galatian church had been that of “law keeping for acceptance”. This produces a harsh and judgmental attitude among people. “It is easy for certain types of religious people to sit in judgment on one who has suddenly yielded to some moral temptation, to make their disapproval manifest, but this is not the way of Christ” (Bruce). Let me be so bold as to put it this way. I wonder if some pastors and teachers have real difficulty understanding why the Holy Spirit directed the apostle to write the last two chapters of Galatians. Patience requires much more than talking to a person once about their “sin problem” and then demanding immediate change. If you truly want to help restore others, you must learn a few “four letter words”, like love, time, hear, care, wait, feel, and pain. This is not a task for someone who wants to resolve everything in thirty minutes like TV sitcoms.

How can people be helped properly (and therefore best) in such a situation?

The gentle restorer recognizes that other believers struggle with sin. His own sins and failures remind him that other saints stumble also (cf. Matthew 7:2-5). “Sin” is a trespass, a stepping aside out of the way, rather than keeping in step with the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5). Shocking as it might sound to the self-righteous and those pleased with themselves, the Lord’s followers can find themselves “caught” in a trespass. It is easy to wander off the right way.

The gentle restorer knows who can help and how they can help. Let’s think of both aspects.

All Christians (“you who are spiritual”) can help (Romans 15:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:14). Certainly, those who are most skilled can help the best. I would not disagree with the concept of training Christians to help others. I have been trained and constantly help train others in my teaching ministry. The idea is not to do an end run around the pastors and teachers that Christ has placed in his church. And we have different spiritual gifts that enable some to do what others can’t do. But too often in a professional therapeutic culture we can miss the big idea that restoration is much more than giving “expert” advice or counsel. It is not a simple matter of the pastor and elders meeting with the one in need of restoration. (By the way, in our time, pastors and elders have more training and interest in leading a “church” in numerical and financial progress than in the wise restoration of believers.) Full restoration of those overtaken by wrong doing requires the input of the whole body of believers. Kind words and actions from new or unskilled believers can be used by the Spirit of God to bring healing to the heart of the one in need of restoration.

Mending is a work for gentle hands. “To gain this object he explains the purpose of godly reproofs, which is, to restore the fallen and make him sound again. This will never be accomplished by violence or a spirit of accusation, or by fierceness of countenance and words. It remains that we must show a calm and kind spirit if we want to heal our brother” (Calvin). In my years of ministry I have encountered many who were grievously injured by harshness when gentleness could have brought about restoration.

It has been said that the church is the only army that shoots its own wounded. Needless to say, this ought not to be. Our model is the Lord himself, not self-righteous leaders who suppose they have some cause or movement or their own reputations to protect. We need to follow the Lord very closely in this matter. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young (Isaiah 40:11 NIV). A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out (Isaiah 42:3a NIV).

Grace and peace,
David

What God Does in Our Lives

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (NIV).

One day by grace, we heard Christ call us to follow him. Since that time, we have been on a spiritual journey in which God develops his purpose in us. He acts in us according to his will and good pleasure. Perhaps we don’t think often enough that he is active inside us by the Spirit and the word. He forms new thoughts, ideas, and attitudes; for example, the calmness of depending on him, as we walk through circumstances in which we can do little else. When you’re on the operating table right before emergency surgery, he teaches this quickly.

God is active in our lives, but what is he actively working for? Our text quoted above tells us that God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. We need to listen carefully at this point, because we all want to define what the good is. However, let’s walk away from our own desires (a.k.a. self-denial) and embrace what the Lord desires for his people. The Spirit tells us two aspects of his purpose.

First, God acts in all things that we will be conformed to the image of his Son. God wants Christ to be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). The Spirit forms us by the gospel and making the presence of Christ real to us, so that we have “Christ-structured” lives. For example, as you read the Gospels, you see Christ’s patience with people, both his disciples and his opponents. People failed to grasp what he said, and so he had to repeat, repeat, and repeat. The Spirit wants that same kind of character in us; therefore, he directs us in situations which require great patience from us. Will we fail? Yes, many times, and the Lord knows that we will fail. But the goal is Christ-likeness, not what we call perfect behavior. God does not seek a group of perfect little Pharisees, but people being formed into Christ-likeness.

Second, God acts in all things that we will be part of many brothers and sisters of whom Christ is the firstborn. In other words, God’s purpose is for each follower of Jesus to be part of his spiritual family. The goal for an individual follower of Christ cannot be detached from the whole family of believers. You see, holiness is not an individual matter; it is a family matter. Consecration to God is what happens when we walk in love together toward God. In Pilgrim’s Progress, Bunyan paints a scene where Christian vaingloriously runs ahead of Faithful, and then in his pride falls. Christian cannot get up to continue the journey until Faithful comes and helps him to stand. In the same way, God has ordered that our destiny involves a spiritual journey with our brothers and sisters in Christ. So then, we must become Christ-like together.

Have you been attempting your spiritual journey toward glory by your own definition of good and in isolation from close fellowship with others? If so, please let this text redefine your journey. Submit to God’s purpose and seek partnership with other followers of Christ.

Grace and peace, David

Where Do You Want to Walk?

Ephesians 4:1

Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received… (HCSB)

Almost every time Sharon and I go for a walk, one of us asks, “Where do you want to walk?” It is a valuable question for friendship. It is good to listen the other’s ideas, moods, and desires. To teach the Christian way of life to his readers, Paul often used the metaphor “walk”. As we live in friendship with the Lord, we ought to listen to his preferences about the places where he wants to walk with us. Every follower of Christ knows that we make rather poor choices about where to walk. Because of his greatness, holiness, and wisdom and our deficiencies in these qualities, we need to listen to his good choices about where we should walk.

As we approach the year 2017, it is worthwhile to ponder where we must walk to please the Lord. In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle presents much of his ethical teaching through this illustration. Let’s glance at the “trail map” to find out where the Lord wants us to walk in him and through him and by him.

Walk worthy of your calling (4:1). The first trail leads up to a lofty place, the calling to hope (confident expectation) of our glorious inheritance (1:18). Our Lord wants us to walk near to heaven, confident and our eyes set on the prize. We should aspire for eternal glory. When you read the Gospels attentively, you will discover the importance of this idea in the teachings of our Lord.
Walk no longer as the nations walk (4:17). The second trail leads away from where the peoples of the nations of this world like to walk. It seems a poor choice to them, but those in the Messiah know that their trails are destructive and futile (4:17-19). To walk with the Lord Jesus requires that we deliberately turn from the paths of the nations.
Walk in love (5:2). The third trail leads to the imitation of God. It is the trail of love, of setting your affections on God and others, so that you give yourself sacrificially for their good. To walk this trail is costly to self-love; for that reason, it is despised. Think and feel the description of love’s actions (1 Corinthians 13:1-7 HCSB): Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. The only way to love this way is to pick up your cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34).
Walk as children of light (5:8). Light involves knowing the truth and acting the truth. As we genuinely shine for the Lord, we will expose the evil in others. Yet, we will also produce the pleasant-to-the-Lord fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth. There is also the pleasant by-product of being unashamed.
Walk as wise, not as unwise (5:15). Wisdom is skill in godly wisdom. It is knowing how to practice the truth in fellowship with the truth. This necessitates being filled with the Spirit.

The practical question for each of us is “This coming year, do I want to walk where the Lord wants me to walk?” There really is no value, in fact, it is harmful, to continue to make our poor choices where we are not walking with the Lord. Sit down with the “trail map”, alone and with some friends, and think through the places that the Lord wants to go with us. Choose his paths in 2017.

Grace and peace, David

Invited to Dinner

dscn1542 Luke 7:36

Sharing meals is an important part of being human. From our earliest days, we quickly learn the joy of sitting down at the table with other people. We also learn that there are some people that we would rather eat with than others. No one enjoys eating with disagreeable people, regardless of how fine the meal might be. This transfers to other aspects of human experience, whatever the purpose of the social gathering. Someone might not know another person, so they ask a friend, “What kind of a person is he or she?”

What kind of a person was Jesus? The Bible does not directly answer that, but he was often invited to dinners and other social gatherings. What we do read are presentations of a man of integrity who was very likeable. Let’s reflect on the kind of man that Jesus was, and is. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8 ESV). Jesus was and is full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

View Jesus as a gracious man. At a wedding, he supplied the need for wine. He welcomed a man with many questions at night. In fact, at evening he healed many who gathered at his door. He wasn’t bothered when most people want to be left alone. He spoke kindly to a woman at a well that other people despised. He reached out to tax collectors, whom most people hated. He did not turn his back on people with terrible diseases, but rather healed them and shockingly touched them! When a woman interrupted Jesus while on the way to heal a sick girl, he stopped to care for her. He came upon a funeral procession. A widow’s only son had died, leaving her helpless. He stopped, told the woman to stop weeping, raised the young man, and gave him back to his mother. He called a blind man to him, when everyone else told him to be quiet and not bother Jesus. He welcomed little children and blessed them, though the disciples tried to keep them away. Jesus called the weary and burdened to him and promised them rest. He wept over the city of Jerusalem, not because he would die outside its walls, but because its people would perish because they rejected himself, God’s message of grace to them. Jesus was a very gracious man!

View Jesus as a man of truth. His whole public life was devoted to telling people the message that God the Father had given him. He would teach people all day without complaint. Though he sought rest for him and his disciples, he would happily teach the gathered crowds who pressed upon them. Jesus would speak the truth and act the truth, although he knew that people would rise against him. Think of his boldness at his home town of Nazareth, when they sought to kill him for what he said. Other times, he would tell people their sins were forgiven or their withered hand was healed or they could walk again, although the religious leaders were infuriated by what he did. Jesus welcomed sinners to himself, but he also proclaimed judgment on hypocrites and swindlers that tried to seem very religious. His truthfulness exposed everyone else for what they were, including a Roman governor who sentenced him to death. Jesus boldly stood for God’s truth!

Jesus was full of grace and truth. Do we resemble him? I mean this: We claim to follow him, but do we show forth his kind of character? Are we people of grace, mercy, love, compassion, patience, goodness, and kindness? Do we stand up for truth and tell others the truth of the gospel? We must understand that we cannot really claim to be his followers unless we imitate his way of life and walk in his steps. Jesus said many times, “Follow me.” Do we?

Grace and peace, David

The Wise Estimator (Part One)

Luke 14:25-33

My first experience in contracting was as a “go fer”. You know, “Dave, go for this, and Dave, go for that”. In between running from construction site to construction site, I would sometimes work as a laborer. One day as I was nailing on some sheathing, the foreman came up to me and said, “Erl (the owner of the company) wants to see you in the office after work.” All that I could think of was, “I’m going to get laid off. I can tell things are slowing down, and I’m the most recent one hired.” So bracing myself with prayer, I drove to the office on Green Island Ave, in Latham, New York. “Lord, what am I going to do? You know our needs! How will I provide for Sharon and Kyle?” As I walked with trepidation into the office, expecting bad news, Erl asked in his usual straight to the point manner, “How would you like to estimate for me?” I was quick to reply, “I’d be glad to, but I don’t know anything about estimating buildings.” His simple answer was, “That’s no problem; I’ll teach you.” So began my career as a construction estimator!

Sometime later as I was reading through Luke, I “found” verses 28-30, which became my “life’s verses” as an estimator. I have had farmers tell me that they had a real-life understanding about what Jesus meant in passages like Luke 9:62. I think I have a similar appreciation for 14:28-30. I could tell you many stories about construction estimating. But the main point of this passage is not about estimating the cost of buildings or preparing proper strategy for a war. Instead, Jesus is confronting the crowds following him about the true cost of discipleship, of following Christ.

Let us not mistake what Jesus is talking about. He is talking about eternal life, for to be saved in the teaching of Jesus is to be a disciple or follower of Christ (Matthew 28:19). But in this passage the Lord Jesus is not talking about how to be saved, which is by turning from one’s sin to trust in Him, but about the character of those who truly turn from their sins to be saved by faith in Christ alone.

The Lord Jesus made solemn statement about following him. First, think about the form of this solemn statement.

It is a conditional statement in the general form, “If anyone does not… he/she cannot be my disciple.”
This conditional statement is repeated three times. When anyone repeats in this way, he is obviously and deliberately making a point. Jesus is clearly saying that some people cannot be his followers. This bothers people, and it ought to! But Jesus seeks true followers, who will receive eternal life, not false followers, to whom he will say those most terrible words, “Depart from me. I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

This was a shocking statement in Jesus’ time and it still is in ours. People are impressed by numbers. If the crowds are present, people think that something is successful. But one thing that you learn as you study the Bible is that the Lord is not afraid to “thin the ranks”. God is not impressed by crowds of people or by anything else he created. He wants quality before quantity. A graphic example is the size of Gideon’s army. The Lord reduced it from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300.

We must watch out for a trap of the enemy at this point. The evil one will attempt to use this to lessen our zeal and to draw us into inactivity. He will whisper, “That’s right! Just minister to the few you have. Build them into strong converts. Most large churches are terribly shallow anyway. Don’t be like them!” The trap is that the evil one wants us to think that the choice is between, on the one hand, large and zealous and, on the other, small and spiritual. But the truth is that we ought to be both zealous and spiritual and let God take care of the results.

The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to understand that no one can follow him unless he or she truly repents. A deep change of mind about God, Christ, oneself, sin, and salvation is required! Until this happens, a person cannot really follow Christ. Oh, we might be religious, attend church, read our Bibles, but have we truly become followers of Jesus Christ? Are we pursuing Him?

“Hark, Ten Thousand Harps and Voices”: (second verse)

Jesus, hail! Whose glory brightens all above and gives it worth;
Lord of life, Thy smile enlightens, cheers and charms Thy saints on earth:
When we think of love like Thine, Lord, we own it love divine.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen!

Do you have this view of the Lord Jesus?

Grace and peace, David

A Godly Example

Ruth 2:1-7

A core matter of the Christian way of life is to follow Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 10:38; 16:24; etc.) We are to imitate his way of life and think his thoughts, have his attitudes, speak with grace and truth, and do good as he did. The Lord knows that it is beneficial for us also to have people that we can see as examples that we can imitate. Each of us ought to be living in such a manner that we can say “follow my example” or “imitate me” because we follow the Lord Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1; Philippians 3:15, 17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7; Hebrews 6:12; 13:7; 1 Peter 5:3). In the story of Ruth, next in the story is a man called Boaz. God has an important purpose in his plan for Boaz and Ruth. What kind of a man was Boaz? He was a godly man, a man of integrity, goodness, and action.

First we see an example of Boaz’s active oversight. Surprise! Who should arrive to inspect his fields except the “man of standing”, Boaz! And when did he reach his fields? He came to one of his fields after Ruth had been gleaning for a while. This was perfect timing; it was beyond coincidence.

Boaz greeted his workers in a godly manner. He brought God into his workplace by blessing his workers in God’s name. Not everyone has the opportunity that Boaz had to act so boldly. Most followers of Jesus must act and speak cautiously, since they neither own the company nor are they paid to evangelize. Some Christians become overzealous and brash when they ought to be humble and quiet. The Lord expects us to be wise and gentle among our coworkers. We need to make friends from our coworkers and then tell our friends the good news, but not on company time. Having been in management, I know it is not appreciated when any worker wastes time for which they are being paid to work. So then, Christians need to show the example of diligent work.
Boaz was a man of influence and wealth (2:1). He was in a position to help the poor. This is the view that we should take of our lives. God gives to us generously, so that we might help others, and in this way show his kindness and compassion. The Lord wants us to work, so that we can give to care for others in their needs (Ephesians 4:28).
Boaz was also a godly man, as the whole book makes clear. He spoke in conformity with his world and life view. God was in his thoughts, and there could be no better greeting than to wish them God’s presence of blessing. Many times in the Old Testament Scriptures, this is emphasized by saying that “God was with” someone.
Boaz noticed who was working in his fields. This shows that Boaz knew what was going on in his workplace. He wasn’t oblivious. He paid attention to his workers. He knew that people were a very important part of his business. Other things being equal, the business that cares for its employees will prosper more than others that do not. More importantly, God cares very much about people! Part of your responsibility as a member of the local assembly you attend is to know everyone who worships with you. That gathering is your spiritual family, and it is unthinkable that you should fail to pay attention to people that God the Father brings into your assembly. Engage everyone in kind and godly conversation.
Boaz noticed Ruth. Hmm, this also showed that he was a real man. Men do notice women—in about three-tenths of a second or less. What made him notice her? Was it her good looks? Was it her foreign appearance? Was it her youthfulness? (Yes ladies, men do look at younger women first. Don’t get upset at your man or men in general. Men noticed you first when you were the younger woman.) Whatever the reason, Boaz did notice her and decided he ought to have more personal information about her.

So then, God had Ruth and Boaz in the same place at the same time, and Boaz had some level of interest in her. This was beyond coincidence. God would use all this to accomplish his purposes in Jesus Christ. Since we are also part of the story of God’s glory, we must be ready to be used by the Lord.

Grace and peace, David