I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-13)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT? (part-13)

FIRSTFRUITS;
When we think about birth and death we are looking at the extremities
of life – the beginning and the end. We can understand the birth of a
newborn baby, but when we read the scriptures we discover there is a
second birth available to all mankind. When we fail to experience the
second birth, we remain unsaved, sinful, and headed toward a certain
death. A death that includes total separation from the Lord.

So how do we achieve the second birth?
James says it is through the “word of truth”.
    He chose to give us birth through the word of truth,
    that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
    (James 1:18)

What does the “word of truth” mean?
Paul explains it in his letter to the Ephesians.
    And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
    message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you
    believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
    Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 1:13)

Paul uses “message of truth” to refer to “the gospel of salvation”.
Now we can understand that James is referring to salvation when
he mentions the second birth. Salvation is a gift from God.
God gives birth to life, but sin gives birth to death.

In verse James 1:18, we see the phrase “first fruits of all He created”.
What could this mean? More than likely it means that when we are born
anew, we have a responsibility to share the “word of truth” with others
who are lost. We experience the second birth ‘first’, and then we should
be witnesses to others, so that they can be born anew as well.

One last observation, James says “of all He created”. I believe his intent
was to leave no doubt that we cannot experience the second birth without
the Lord. He created us when we were born physically and He creates us
when we are reborn spiritually. God is the Creator of everything.

OUR TONGUE AND OUR EARS:
Have you ever wondered why the Lord gave us two ears and one mouth?
I believe He wants us to understand it is more important to listen than to
talk. He could also be telling us that we should listen twice as much as
we talk. Out of one hundred people, how many would you say are good
listeners? Ten? Five? One? Many are more concerned about what they
are going to say than they are about listening to the other person. Listening
is becoming a lost skill and the scriptures provide some advice about being
a good listener.
    My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
    Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
    and slow to become angry, (James 1:19)

We are given instructions to choose our words carefully
(which is a good reason to be ‘slow to speak’).
    The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
    (Proverbs 12:18)

Why is it imperative to be a good listener? Most importantly, it
shows that we are teachable. Whenever we think we have all the
answers, we are not going to be swayed by other opinions and
consequently we seldom take the time to hear them. The problem
of not listening is, we can become narrow minded if all we hear is
the sound of our own voice. We may think that we know the best
method for performing some task, but if we take the time to listen,
someone may explain a much easier and faster way to successfully
complete the chore.

Being a good listener also means we have an interest in others. Why
is that important? Because Jesus had concern for others. No matter
what mission He was on, Jesus always took the time to minister to
individuals. If our goal is to become more like Jesus, and it should
be, then we need to become good listeners.

Have you ever felt you had something important to say or a concern
you wanted to share with someone but before you could finish telling
them, they interrupted you with their own issues? There are times when
they interrupt in order to brag about something they, or a member of their
family has done. How did that make you feel? Unimportant? Angry?
Unappreciated as a friend?

Now, put the shoe on the other foot. How many times have you interrupted
someone when they were trying to tell you something that was important
to them? Imagine if they had the same feelings. Now we can get a clearer
picture of why this verse tells us to not only listen, but to be
    ‘quick to listen….and slow to speak’.
In a nice way, the scriptures are telling us to “Shut up and listen!”

You would be correct in saying that you have a right to speak too. We all
have issues and concerns to be voiced, but the scriptures instruct us to be
courteous and respectful of other people during our conversations with them.

Some people will use this excuse for interrupting someone,
    “I was afraid if I waited for them to finish,
     I would forget what I wanted to tell them”.
I think we could all relate to that excuse, but have you ever thought about
why you might forget what you were going to say? It may be the Lord’s
way of preventing us from saying something that is either unimportant,
or could cause problems.

The Lord in all His wisdom knows what we should and shouldn’t say,
so He may cause us to forget something that should not be said. In some
cases we may not understand how we could possibly cause problems with
what we planned to say, but we don’t have His wisdom.

And besides, the Lord may consider it more important for us to “hear out”
what the other person is saying rather than expressing our own thoughts. If
we rudely interrupt them, then we miss out on what they were going to say,
which might be for our benefit.

We should realize that some of the things we have to say are just not that
important, and may not contribute anything positive to the conversation.
In some cases we are just being selfish when we turn the conversation
toward ourselves. It gives us an opportunity to boast about something
we, or a member of our family has done.

We may feel that we can anticipate what the other person plans to say,
based on what they have said thus far, but this is a time when we should
practice patience. Patience is a virtue that will enhance our ability to
show respect for others and especially the elderly. When we exercise
patience, we allow the elderly to retain their dignity instead of patronizing
them.

We need to intentionally avoid anything that will cause another person
to question their self-worth. Why? Because God created every person
and He doesn’t create ‘junk’. God created everyone with the same
opportunity to become worthy in His eyes. And speaking of being
worthy, look at what Jesus said:
    Whoever does not take up their cross and follow
    me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:38)

When we are followers of Christ, we need to consider Him
as the top priority in our life, which means we are driven to
please Him over pleasing others, or ourselves. In other words,
we should try to mimic His characteristics and demeanor
in our own lives.

The important point for us to remember is, we should never be rude
and inconsiderate. We don’t want others to treat us that way, and the
scriptures say, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
When we fail to give an attentive ear to others, it is a good indication
that we are selfish and possibly egotistical. Look at how Jesus
described Himself:
    Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
    gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
    your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

Before arguing this assessment, think about the opinion others have of us.
In our own minds we may not think of ourselves as selfish or egotistical,
but our actions can cause others to perceive us as arrogant and prideful.
We know that Jesus was not selfish or egotistical. He was a humble servant
who thought of others first. If we want to be more like Him, then we need
to mimic His characteristics. Look at His advice for us:
    For those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
    and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
    (Matthew 23:12)

The verse we reviewed earlier says to be ‘slow to speak’. What great advice!
There are times when we should assess a situation before offering any advice,
or our own opinion. Why? Because we may not know all the facts, especially
if we have not taken the time to listen. The world would like to convince us
that we need to be ready with answers for any situation. By doing this, we
project an image of someone who is intelligent and “in the know”.

The truth is, none of us have every answer to every question. If we follow
the advice from God’s Word, we can be an endearing friend to others. Why?
Because we show compassion and concern for others, instead of being rude
and abrupt to them. No one wants a friend who is inconsiderate and has poor
listening skills. There have been instances where someone walked off before
a friend had finished speaking. That conveys a message that what his or her
friend was saying was not worth listening to. That is not how friends should
treat friends. Jesus wouldn’t treat others that way and neither should anyone
who claims to be one of His followers.

Another reason for being slow to speak is, there are times when no words are
necessary. Sometimes our friends just want us to be there for them so they can
express their concerns to us. They prefer for us to be more of a ‘friend’ and a
‘sounding board’, than an ‘advisor’. If they want our advice or opinion, they
will ask for it. Think about situations in your own life. Haven’t there been
times when you really didn’t want any advice at that particular time, you just
wanted to have a trusted friend nearby who would listen? We become a part
of God’s ministry team whenever we are good listeners.