Simple…. Not Easy

Are you starting to see the sun breaking through the clouds?

I understand that it is ever so small on the horizon at the moment, but there is a breaking that is happening all around us. You and I, our amazing Beloved church family, and our nation has never fulfilled what we have been called to be OR to do… yet. But, I believe we are tracking more true to those purposes now than ever before!
 

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”

– George Washington –
 

This is a foundational quote for me in my personal balance between a man who is a Citizen of Heaven, while concurrently a citizen of the American Republic. It is so foundational that at nearly every freedom rally that I have the humble honor of speaking, I quote it with great fervor.  I have actually developed a paraphrase quote that I accompany with it now. I pray it impacts you…

“One cannot be an ardent Patriot without being a zealous Christian. And one cannot be a zealous Christian without being an ardent Patriot.”

– Steve Cassell –

I am aware that some may be thinking, “what does this really have to do with the Gospel… or the Great Commission… or my personal life and pursuits…?” This small statement is actually very profound for all of the above. Let me bring some context in from our Lord and Savior when He was ministering Kingdom truths to people who were lost, blind, and desiring divine perspective and direction.

Matthew 22:35-40 (ISV)
One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus told him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is exactly like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

When we see this statement, “an expert in the law,” please understand that this was no regular fella just passing by looking for a debate with the preacher because he was just a contentious jerk. Yes, there are those people out there, and we should learn from scripture that the best way to counteract their type of vitriol is to just ignore them and move on to people who are authentically seeking truth. However, this was a man who had spent his whole life studying the Holy Scriptures, the application of biblical truths to the justice of society. He was likely a person very committed to the inerrancy of the Word, while also very loyal to his country and heritage.

When you see people coming up to argue, debate, and contend with Jesus or the New Testament leaders, please look at the context very closely. There is a good and right time to debate and challenge authorities and their declarations. The heart being motivated by truth for the desire of clarity and understanding was always met with a graciousness and compassion that was likely to bring the answers diligently pursued, or at least brought one closer. But, the ones who were saturated with self-righteousness, arrogance, and hypocritical motives of behavior justification were met with indignation and usually received a rebuke. Many times publicly.

In the above scripture, the expert with his question seems to have a mixture of genuineness and some pride. Pride because he just saw Jesus defeat another religious tradition (and sect) with His Divine wisdom, and this lawyer possibly wanted to be the one guy who “stumped” the best Rabbi around. In Jewish culture, it was not acceptable to have a “greatest” command because it would have lessened the other inspired words of God written by Jehovah’s own fingers in the tablets of stone. Yet, there also seemed to be some traces of humility due to the type of question that was asked AND (even more indicative of some sincerity) Jesus answered the question with the attitude of how He discipled his very own disciples. This was a chance to give this religious leader something revelatory and profound that could likely effect his eternity. I believe Jesus took the time and honored him because He believed this man would receive His words with impact.

Look at the authoritative, impactful, and simple answer to a “trick” question:

The first part, your love for God:

• will overwhelm the outworking of your heart
• will dominate your thinking, emotions, will, and personality
• will determine your personal logic, belief system, and rationality

The second part, your love for others:

• will be so real, active, genuine, and abundant that it will radically effect the way you interact with the people (and world) around you… in a uniquely selfless way

A way I personally apply this is another paraphrase I have adopted:
 

“Loving God means you are a zealous Christian. Loving your neighbor means you are an ardent Patriot.”

– Steve Cassell –

How can someone love God and not be an awesome Christian disciple… and how can someone love their neighbor without loving their nation?

I will give you a little personal secret of my simple way of doing life. I usually filter everything I do, whatever I intend to say, wherever I believe I should go… through this very concise paradigm. I ask myself these few questions internally:

• “How will this decision impact my love, honor, and intimacy with God?”
• “How will this decision grow, advance, and benefit the Kingdom of God?”
• “How will this decision bless, prosper, and promote Godliness in my nation that will impact my neighbor?

A few examples:

Protecting the unborn is loving my neighbor. Lower taxes is a blessing to my neighbor. Telling someone the truth that creates freedom for them is honoring God and loving the one whom I am trying to liberate. Protecting my quiet time with Jesus and His Word is loving God. Submitting my emotions and finances to the Kingdom way is loving God. Passionately preaching about the covenant of marriage and Biblical sexual purity is loving God AND loving my neighbor. Leading people into a deeper and more mature revelation of the Finished Work of the Cross is loving God AND loving my neighbor.

All of these things would be easy to not do. But, that would be NOT loving God and NOT loving my neighbor.

I told ya it was simple… but not easy… not even a little bit. This is the hard way to do life, but it is the most rewarding and the most righteous. I gave up on easy and comfortable a long time ago… those deceptions led me into serious pain. If you have not made that decision, consider doing it today!

I love y’all passionately!
Steve