HOW CAN I STOP PLAYING THIS GAME?
I. First of all, we must get honest.
a. Why do believers lie about their spiritual life? Could it be we are so bent with impressing others?
John said, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth (1 John 1:6). Notice the first three words of the text, “If we say.” John repeats this phrase six times in the first two chapters of his letter (1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9). He gave us a contrast between saying and doing.
Ø The Christian life is not mere talk, but a walk with Jesus Christ.
Ø In other words, our walk should match out talk.
Ø Our lives should equal our lips.
Most believers talk a good game, yet we have difficulty living the way God expects us to live. Our text explains the believers “walk” reveals his koinonia {fellowship} with God. Not his talk! We must walk in the light as He is in the light if we are to have fellowship with God (v. 7). So what’s the problem? The dilemma is “the lie” in verse 6. If the believer says he is right with God, yet he walks “in darkness,” he is lying about his intimacy with God. In reality, he is playing games with God. We masquerade as spirit-filled believers deceiving even the best of Christians. Yet, God can see through the facade. While it may be easy to fool our Christian friends about our spiritual life, you cannot dupe God! He will not be conned.
b. After lying so long to others about our spiritual life, we too, begin to believe the lie. In essence, we deceive ourselves.
John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Self-deception in this case is a willfulness of being blind to our sin. Therefore, John says, because of this self-deception “the truth is not in us.”
c. The key to overcoming deceit is getting the truth “in us.” Thus, we must discover the biblical definition of “the truth.” What is “the truth?” Jesus gave us wonderful insight to defining “the truth” in His high priestly prayer. He prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (1 John 17:17). Jesus provided the most precise definition for truth in His prayer “thy word is truth.”
d. God has made available to every believer the sanctifying tool of His Word to cleanse our heart. This is why it is so important for believers to get into the Word. When believers get into the Word, the Word will get into believers. Consequently, believers will be sanctified or cleansed by the truth of God’s Word. When the child of God gets serious about the Word of God he usually stops playing religious games.
Let’s review.John explained to us that we begin playing religious games when we lie to others about our fellowship with Christ.
We become so good at lying about our spiritual condition that we actually believe the lie. In other words, we deceive ourselves. Self-deception leads to lying to God. How ridiculous! To even think we can pull the wool over God’s omniscient eyes. Nevertheless, John said, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”(1 John 1:10). What are the results of lying to God? John said, “his word is not in us.” Then what is in us? Deception! Lies! Untruth! Deceit! Ask yourself one question. Be totally honest. “Am I in the Word of God?” If you are not in the Word of God, then the Word of God is not in you! Well, then, what is in me? Deception, lies, untruth and deceit. How can I purge my heart of such wickedness? The Word of God! We must get honest! Our Bibles are collecting dust! We occasionally use it as our ticket into church, but that’s about it. It has become our religious rabbit’s foot. Christian, get back into your Bibles and God will become real in your life (John 15:7).
II. Secondly, focus on the solutions, not the problem. We must view life with a biblical perspective.
Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We cannot ignore the challenges of life. Nevertheless, we too must see the scriptural solutions.
a. If all you see is the problem, you will become frustrated and depressed. God wants you to focus on solutions! Fix the problem! Jesus is the problem solver! Let me illustrate. Man’s greatest problem is a sin problem. Yet, God the Father solved this dilemma by the sacrifice of His son (Romans 3:23-25; 6:23). Furthermore, He has furnished you and I with everything we need through the death of Christ (Romans 8:32).
b. Are you a moaner and groaner?Or maybe you are a mumbler and grumbler.Some are gripers in diapers. Yet, others are whiners and piners. But worst of all, there are grouches on couches. Take some biblical advice from the Psalmist of Israel, who said,
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:1-8).
c. If all you do is focus on the cause of your problems and ignore the solutions, the blame
game will continue. We have become experts at pointing fingers. Shifting the blame seems to be our favorite pastime. However, if you are really looking for a sure cure for that deadly game, try focusing on biblical solutions and opportunities. You might be surprised by what God can do.
III. Thirdly, decide to become a victor not a victim.
a. People who become experts at playing the blame game are usually those who have the
attitude they have been victimized. Before long they embrace the “martyrs complex.” They lose their spiritual joy, peace and vitality. They sit in the proverbial seat of the scornful. Defeated and dejected they have forgotten the inspired words of the Apostle Paul, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39) . How can this be? More than conquerors? Usually we do not highlight the words “through him.” Yet, those two words are very crucial since the victory is ours through the person of Jesus Christ.
b. Have you ever heard this statement? “I guess I’m just a victim of my circumstances.” While this may be true, Jesus wants us to be victors over our circumstances. As a child of God, you are not just a “conqueror,” but “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Start living what you are! More than conquerors! This frame of mind will eliminate the blame game before it even begins.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? By all means don’t play the blame game. Those who sit around blaming everyone else for all of their problems never get better. They are content with spinning their wheels and never going any where. They never progress in their Christian walk. In the midst of their hardships they blame God for doing something “to them.” In reality, He wants to do something in them and through them. But, they continue to point the accusing finger at those around them, even impugning God. They have been subtly lured into this demonic behavior failing to realize that there are no winners in this game. Only losers play the blame game.
I. First of all, we must get honest.
a. Why do believers lie about their spiritual life? Could it be we are so bent with impressing others?
John said, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth (1 John 1:6). Notice the first three words of the text, “If we say.” John repeats this phrase six times in the first two chapters of his letter (1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9). He gave us a contrast between saying and doing.
Ø The Christian life is not mere talk, but a walk with Jesus Christ.
Ø In other words, our walk should match out talk.
Ø Our lives should equal our lips.
Most believers talk a good game, yet we have difficulty living the way God expects us to live. Our text explains the believers “walk” reveals his koinonia {fellowship} with God. Not his talk! We must walk in the light as He is in the light if we are to have fellowship with God (v. 7). So what’s the problem? The dilemma is “the lie” in verse 6. If the believer says he is right with God, yet he walks “in darkness,” he is lying about his intimacy with God. In reality, he is playing games with God. We masquerade as spirit-filled believers deceiving even the best of Christians. Yet, God can see through the facade. While it may be easy to fool our Christian friends about our spiritual life, you cannot dupe God! He will not be conned.
b. After lying so long to others about our spiritual life, we too, begin to believe the lie. In essence, we deceive ourselves.
John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Self-deception in this case is a willfulness of being blind to our sin. Therefore, John says, because of this self-deception “the truth is not in us.”
c. The key to overcoming deceit is getting the truth “in us.” Thus, we must discover the biblical definition of “the truth.” What is “the truth?” Jesus gave us wonderful insight to defining “the truth” in His high priestly prayer. He prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (1 John 17:17). Jesus provided the most precise definition for truth in His prayer “thy word is truth.”
d. God has made available to every believer the sanctifying tool of His Word to cleanse our heart. This is why it is so important for believers to get into the Word. When believers get into the Word, the Word will get into believers. Consequently, believers will be sanctified or cleansed by the truth of God’s Word. When the child of God gets serious about the Word of God he usually stops playing religious games.
Let’s review.John explained to us that we begin playing religious games when we lie to others about our fellowship with Christ.
We become so good at lying about our spiritual condition that we actually believe the lie. In other words, we deceive ourselves. Self-deception leads to lying to God. How ridiculous! To even think we can pull the wool over God’s omniscient eyes. Nevertheless, John said, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us”(1 John 1:10). What are the results of lying to God? John said, “his word is not in us.” Then what is in us? Deception! Lies! Untruth! Deceit! Ask yourself one question. Be totally honest. “Am I in the Word of God?” If you are not in the Word of God, then the Word of God is not in you! Well, then, what is in me? Deception, lies, untruth and deceit. How can I purge my heart of such wickedness? The Word of God! We must get honest! Our Bibles are collecting dust! We occasionally use it as our ticket into church, but that’s about it. It has become our religious rabbit’s foot. Christian, get back into your Bibles and God will become real in your life (John 15:7).
II. Secondly, focus on the solutions, not the problem. We must view life with a biblical perspective.
Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). We cannot ignore the challenges of life. Nevertheless, we too must see the scriptural solutions.
a. If all you see is the problem, you will become frustrated and depressed. God wants you to focus on solutions! Fix the problem! Jesus is the problem solver! Let me illustrate. Man’s greatest problem is a sin problem. Yet, God the Father solved this dilemma by the sacrifice of His son (Romans 3:23-25; 6:23). Furthermore, He has furnished you and I with everything we need through the death of Christ (Romans 8:32).
b. Are you a moaner and groaner?Or maybe you are a mumbler and grumbler.Some are gripers in diapers. Yet, others are whiners and piners. But worst of all, there are grouches on couches. Take some biblical advice from the Psalmist of Israel, who said,
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:1-8).
c. If all you do is focus on the cause of your problems and ignore the solutions, the blame
game will continue. We have become experts at pointing fingers. Shifting the blame seems to be our favorite pastime. However, if you are really looking for a sure cure for that deadly game, try focusing on biblical solutions and opportunities. You might be surprised by what God can do.
III. Thirdly, decide to become a victor not a victim.
a. People who become experts at playing the blame game are usually those who have the
attitude they have been victimized. Before long they embrace the “martyrs complex.” They lose their spiritual joy, peace and vitality. They sit in the proverbial seat of the scornful. Defeated and dejected they have forgotten the inspired words of the Apostle Paul, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39) . How can this be? More than conquerors? Usually we do not highlight the words “through him.” Yet, those two words are very crucial since the victory is ours through the person of Jesus Christ.
b. Have you ever heard this statement? “I guess I’m just a victim of my circumstances.” While this may be true, Jesus wants us to be victors over our circumstances. As a child of God, you are not just a “conqueror,” but “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Start living what you are! More than conquerors! This frame of mind will eliminate the blame game before it even begins.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do? By all means don’t play the blame game. Those who sit around blaming everyone else for all of their problems never get better. They are content with spinning their wheels and never going any where. They never progress in their Christian walk. In the midst of their hardships they blame God for doing something “to them.” In reality, He wants to do something in them and through them. But, they continue to point the accusing finger at those around them, even impugning God. They have been subtly lured into this demonic behavior failing to realize that there are no winners in this game. Only losers play the blame game.
Discussion
1. When was the last time you played the blame game?
2. Why is it so easy to blame others?
3. How can the Word of God help me conqueror the blame game?
posted by maranatha man at 2:47 AM
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