What is Possible?

Mark Dunagan
01/05/14 - Sunday Morning

What is Possible?

During the 2013 Olympic Games held in Beijing, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran the 100-meter dash in 9.69 seconds, which was 0.03 seconds faster than the mark he set in May of the same year. Scientists have speculated what might be the “ultimate record” for this event. According to some research, the theoretical limit of the 100-meter dash could be as low as 9.2 seconds.  This, in turn, brings up the question of what the ultimate limits for the human body may be in other areas.   “Iceman” Wim Hof, for example, can withstand extreme cold temperatures, far exceeding the limits most could bear before entering into severe hypothermia. Barefoot and wearing only a small pair of shorts, Hof has run over 12 miles in frigid temperatures of 5°F.   Fascinating!  What is the ultimate distance a person can run without stopping?  What is the ultimate distance of human sight or hearing?  What is the ultimate limit of weight lifting?  Yet, a far more relevant discussion would revolve around what remarkable, yet attainable moral and spiritual possibilities exist for all of us by the strength He supplies?  Read the word of God and you'll find that God says there are many significant and magnificent things we can do for His glory:

We Can Understand the Truth

• “...you shall know the truth” (John 8:32).
• “When you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4).
• “Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

We Can Obey the Truth

• “And of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (1 Timothy 4:6).
• “That you keep the commandment without stain or reproach” (1 Timothy 6:14).
• “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth” (2 John 4).
• “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them” (Matthew 7:24).

We Can Faithfully Interpret and Teach the Truth

• “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
• “Handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
• “Preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2).
• “Speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

To say that we are teaching the truth is not an arrogant claim, for God commanded us to do just that.  It is not arrogance, for truth is not something that we have invented or “discovered” because we are so intelligent.  Anyone can understand the truth, for even the enemies of Jesus understood what He was teaching (Matthew 27:63).  As we see in the life of the rich young ruler, the real accomplishment is not in the understanding of truth, but rather in obeying the truth once you heard it.  

We Can Remain Sound and Faithful

• “The one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).
• “If we walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).
• “I have fought the good fight…” (2 Timothy 4:7).

We can remain in the sound doctrine and remain there for the rest of our lives.  We can finish strong with confidence about our salvation, and this was not just true for men like Paul, but for everyone who also loved the truth (2 Timothy 4:8).  When Jesus examined the various congregations to whom the book of Revelation was originally circulated, He pointed out doctrinal error in a number of the groups (Revelation 2:14,20) —error that was entirely fixable.  By contrast, He found no error in other groups (2:8-11).  It is obvious then, that in the First Century local congregations were able to faithfully follow, observe and teach the teachings of Christ.  So can we.

We Can Break with Habitual Sin

To say that even Christians are probably sinning many times every day is a statement that I never find the Bible making.  It also does not seem to fit the lives of Christians like Paul or Timothy.  Lastly, it seems to be getting really close to habitual sinning, which John says that Christians do not practice (1 John 3:6).

• “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (1 John 3:6).
• “I am writing these things to you that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1).
• “Such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
• “How you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

We might want to speculate about how much or little we sin after becoming a Christian.  Yet I never find the Bible entering into this speculation.  We are told that all men have sinned (Romans 3:23).  We are told what to do to be forgiven, both before we become Christians (Mark 16:16) and after (1 John 1:8-10).  We are also told that we have clear instruction on how to avoid sin (1 John 2:1).  In view of the fact that Jesus died so painfully for our sins, how could we ever downplay or become casual with the idea of sinning?  The blood of Jesus is so valuable that we should make every effort to remain pure on a daily basis (2 Corinthians 7:1).  

We Can Change—Really Change

• “Bring forth fruits in keeping with your repentance” (Luke 3:8).
• New Testament Churches were filled with people who had been deep in sin but had changed:  Titus 3:3; 1 Peter 4:3
• Each one of the sins that the Corinthians were able to leave behind were very addictive lifestyles: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
• The apostle Paul was a chief of sinners, yet was forgiven, and remained  radically changed: 1 Timothy 1:13, moving from wanting to murder all he thought were in the wrong (Acts 9:1), to laying down his life for such people (2 Corinthians 12:15).

We Can Become Christ Like

• “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
• “Be imitators of God as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).
• “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
• “So that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).
• “As you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk)” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).
• Jesus expected us to become peace-makers, those who hunger and thirst and righteousness, those who are pure in heart, that is, people who think and act like Him: Matthew 5:5-9
• Paul gave us a list of qualities to put on—qualities and attitudes that Jesus Himself manifested:  Ephesians 4:25-5:1

We Can Have Pure Motives

• There are those Jesus calls “The pure in heart”: Matthew 5:8
• “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).
• “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5).
• “For indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren” (1 Thess. 4:10).

We Can Be Happy Now

Recently I heard someone on the radio give their “bucket list” to the announcer.  The first thing on the list was to “be happy”.  As if happiness has to be delayed or is something that only happens at the very end of life.  Christians can train their minds to be happy right now (1 Thess. 5:16). The fruit of the spirit is a joy (Galatians 5:22).

Mark Dunagan  |  mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ  |  503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net