Some of you by now are on your second week of the 28 day exercise, Four Weeks With God and Your Neighbor. Others are just beginning the process. Be sure to follow this blog and my four articles in the Redemptive Presence newsletter. The challenge of Week 1 was (and for those of you just beginning is) "We must change." That is why I directed all of us to Psalm 51 for an introspective look at your own condition so that we might cry out to God for a spirit of personal renewal and revival. This exercise is about change. We must take that survey of soul, a spiritual inventory, to identify what in our life needs to change. If your married maybe you should ask your spouse to answer that question. If you are single perhaps some of your friends will want to chime in. Week 1 requires a soul searching to identify your personal agenda and a commitment to change.

But, change requires discipline. That is the theme of Week 2. Godliness comes by discipline. And discipline cannot occur apart from the study of the Word and prayer. It seems rather silly to say that it takes discipline merely to talk to someone. After all, I do not need discipline to talk to the people I love. My attention span does not waver after a few minutes of discussion around the dinner table. In fact, I often am involved (as is my family) in two or three conversations at a time. Why? Because I love my family and I WANT to talk to them. I cannot go for days or weeks at a time without any dialogue with my family.

Perhaps the reason we lose focus in prayer is because our desire for a two way conversation is not what we want. Instead, we want God to listen while we talk. This is where the twins must eat together at the same table. We must speak to God in prayer AND God will speak to us via the reading of and the meditation upon the Word of God. Our 28 day journey is designed to reduce our focus to one or two issues in your life where there is need for change. This is where we can all help each other. For example, if you are struggling with a specific sin and you do not know where to go in the Bible for help, then you can ask for help. We live in such an incredible age of technology. Just by posting your questions on my blog you may receive a whole plethora of directions from others who do know where that issue is dealt with in the Word. So go to my blog and post your questions.

Time will not permit me to answer each request, however, blogs are designed in such a way that we can help each other. And isn't that what this is all about - Body Life? In fact, I can envision some of you pairing up to help each other walk through Biblical change. We must look beyond the 28 days and use this amazing tool to touch each other's lives. My greatest joy is preaching. My second greatest joy is teaching. In this blog context we can study the Word together. So I will look for your postings as the Lord leads. May He touch you by His grace.

In His Grip,
PB

It is Monday, and now is the time to begin a 28 day journey of change as a congregation. We will utilize the little book by Dr. Jay Adams written back in the seventies entitled Four Weeks with God and Your Neighbor. I have used this exercise over the years with many families to effect true Biblical change. I define Biblical change this way - there are sin patterns we must put off and Godly qualities we must put on. True change does not occur until both have taken place over the course of time.

Here is the objective of each page in the book. We begin with scripture to establish truth. Then we meditate on that scripture to determine what needs to change, that is, what needs to be put off and put on. Then each chapter ends with the call to a battle strategy or plan of attack. Consider these words in Ephesians 4:25-32.

[25] Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. [26] "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, [27] and do not give the devil a foothold. [28] He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. [29] Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. [30] And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. [32] Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Notice how the put off and put on works together to effect true change. This exercise promises to be personal and provocative. See it through. Do not give up when it either becomes toilsome or even boring. The blessing is on the other side. Stay focused on building a strategy of change. Last week I challenged you to examine your life in the context of Psalm 51. This week my hope is that God will search all of our hearts not merely for the purpose of pointing out our sin but truly reviving our souls.

As a church we can learn the art of the disciplines of grace (prayer, scripture study, and worship). The result of this will be a greater witness for Christ and more open doors to share the Gospel from a first hand experience of divine invasion. Satan will throw the kitchen sink at you since he does not hang around cemeteries. He goes where the enemy (a renewed heart) is actively engaged against him. And that is precisely what these next 28 days will become for you. May God give you His mercy and grace this week as you begin.

I want to invite all of you to post comments on my blog as to what and/or how God is speaking to your heart through this exercise. Feel free to post questions as well. I may not be able to answer them but perhaps other bloggers will. Posting can help edify one another in the Lord. Click here to view the sermon.

In His Grip,
PB

PS. If you did not receive the book, then you should wait to begin this exercise until next week. We have ordered more books and they will be available next Sunday. This blog will be repeated next week and a new one posted throughout the four weeks. In the meantime continue meditating on Psalm 51 and Ephesians 4:17-32.

Hi Bloggers! Here I share with you a question from another reader, as well as, my response. This topic seems to be prevalent in the world we live in today...

I have been dating my boyfriend for 4 months now. We know that God has given us to each other. We are both Christians, pray together, worship together and read the word together. We are not engaged yet, but it is coming. The only way I can describe it is that God is in this relationship. We are both divorced. We both had really bad marriages, got married too young and made mistakes. We are trying this time to do everything to give God the glory. Here's our issue. We tried really hard to commit to not having sex until marriage, but it happened a couple of weeks ago and since then a couple other times. I would say that it is more me pushing it then him, but he would say that we are both doing the same thing. Both of us have a very close relationship with God; he is the center of our lives. When we do something that is not according to his will we know, he lets us know. In this circumstance, neither one of us feels convicted of having sex before marriage.

I don't feel disconnected from God, we still pray and ask for him to tell us if we are doing wrong and we'll stop. My question is why don't we feel convicted and guilty of this? We are so in love and know that God has this amazing plan for us in our future, but why doesn't he let us know that we are doing something disobedient if we are. We are considering seeking counseling, but I just stumbled across your site so I thought I'd give it a shot. Anything you have to offer we will take up in pray.

Thanks,
Name Withheld

Dear Reader,

Your question is somewhat perplexing. On the one hand you want to serve the Lord and have Him at the "center of your life." On the other hand you know what you are doing is wrong since you "tried really hard to not having sex until marriage." This tells me you know it is wrong. But then you say, "neither one of us feels convicted of having sex before marriage." Wow! That is a very dangerous way to live out your faith, that is, by depending on how you feel about a matter to determine if it is a sin. Our basis for truth is the written word of God. The Bible is very clear on the matter of premarital sex. It is called fornication. The Greek word used for fornication is "porneia." Do you hear a root word here? It is the word for pornography. Sex outside of marriage is a sin...period. Read this passage carefully. If you do not "feel" convicted then you must accept the teaching of the Word regardless.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders [10] nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. [12] "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. [13] "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"--but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. [14] By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. [15] Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! [16] Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." [17] But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. [18] Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. [19] Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. If that is not enough try on this one for size... 1 Corinthians 7 [8] Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. [9] But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

And...

Ephesians 5:1-4 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children [2] and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. [4] Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. The long and the short of my answer to your question is this - it does not matter how you feel about it, premarital sex is wrong and offensive to God. To continue in sin is an abuse of the grace of God...

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? [2] By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? [3] Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

And...

Romans 12:1-4 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. [2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

And...

Colossians 3:1-5 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. [5] Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

I could go on and on with scriptural admonitions about sexual sin before marriage. But let me also add that true love does not cause the one we say we love to sin. By you pushing him sexually and vice versa you are becoming a stumbling block to the very one you say you love. What this does is open the door for Satan to sow seeds of distrust into your future marriage. These seeds remain dormant for years until the time is ripe for the evil one to explode them. So I counsel you to abstain. Keep in mind that for every good gift from God there is the counterfeit. Sex inside marriage is good. The counterfeit is sex outside of marriage. I also counsel you to seek each other's forgiveness for morally offending the other. This is critical since love demands that we restore broken relationships. And your relationship is morally broken before God. Confess it to Him and to each other. Purify your hearts and your minds. God will be honored and you will be blessed. I hope this helps.

In His Grip,

Dr. Chuck Betters