A Heart Gone Cold – Part 3

“Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also, Demas.” (Colossians 4:14)

It’s a heart gone cold that I’m talking about in the conclusion of a series. (To read: A Heart Gone Cold – Part 1, click here. To read: A Heart Gone Cold – Part 2, click here. )

PERSONALITY REGRESSION

And before I get to my main points in this third blog post I want to tell you a story about a lady I read about. She lived in Virginia. She was happily married. She had three children. Everything of a normal life she enjoyed. But then one day her husband died while her kids were of high school age. And then everything changed for the woman as you can just imagine.

She would ultimately become all the more devoted to her children. Who could blame her? And I also read, she’d change her clothes even to those of a young adult of twenty and join in her kid’s parties and fun. That didn’t seem too unusual.

And it wouldn’t have been except for in the next few years quite the transformaton began to take place with the lady. Her kids noticed that as they were growing older, their mom was growing younger. If only you had that problem, right?

But it was even more than that. Much more. You see, there’s something that psychiatrists call: “personality regression.” “Personality regression” literally means: “a person walking (or growing) backward.” Ever hear of that? I mean, we all grow up. Right? That’s how it’s supposed to work. We don’t grow back or down.

But it seems that some people do.

And what’s interesting about this disorder even further, the downward trend usually stops at a certain point and age. But it didn’t happen that way with this woman. She continued to slip backward – listen – at a rate of one year every 3 or 4 months.

And so that’s like for every year you become 3 or 4 years younger. Do the math. If you’re 40, it doesn’t take long to go to 30 or 20 or 10. At the rate of four years per year, let’s say, I was thinking, you go to 10 years old in less than 8 years. And so on and so forth.

This lady I’m talking about was 61 years of age at the time her regression reached to 6 years old. She acted and talked like a 6-year old even though she was 61.

This 61-year old lady who just turned 6 would be sent to a sanitarium, the story goes on, where she’d insist on wearing short dresses, playing with toys and babbling like a child.

But it didn’t stop there either. She became like a three-year old. She spilled her food. She cried, “Mama.”

Backward still further to the age of one, she drank milk like a tiny baby.

Finally, she went back too far and died.

It’s a true story of “personality regression.”

I use it and as startling as it is and simply alarming – and how much more, I was thinking, is it in the spiritual realm when something like this happens? What about “spiritual regression”? We have a term for it in evangelicalism. Do you know what it is? The term is: “backsliding.”

D-E-M-A-S (Disciple, Excited, Ministry, Attentive, Slides Back)

Which brings us back to Colossians 4:14 above. There are two people we read about in Colossians 4:14. The first one is the beloved physician who wrote what we have come to know as the third Gospel, Luke.

And then there’s this other guy whose name is Demas in the verse.

And I’ve talked about Demas in the first two parts of this blog post series.

To begin with I used the acronym: D-E-M-A-S to talk about how he was a D-isciple. And as a disciple, he was E-xcited about the Lord and serving the Lord. Demas was “in the M-inistry” (the “M” in D-E-M-A-S). He was a fellow worker with the Apostle Paul. (Philemon 1:24) Demas was also A-ttentive. He was attentive because he was a disciple who was excited and “in the ministry.” You better be attentive if that’s who you are (“giving your complete attention to the business at hand and stiff-arming distractions). I talked about all these things as regards Demas.

And then there was one other thing that I talked about, too, that I wish I didn’t have to bring up. But you have to know this last thing about Demas that goes with the “S” in the acronym. He S-lides back from all these good things that I spoke about him that he was. Demas goes into “spiritual regression” and has a fit of “spiritual regression” much like the lady I brought up a moment ago.

WHAT CAUSED DEMAS TO BACKSLIDE?

So what could have possibly happened that got to such a point and was just so much of an effect on Demas’ heart that it made him to turn away and chuck his faith?

And we’re considering now further this question I began to answer in Part 2.

And it was 2 Timothy 4:10 that I pointed out there that gives us some clues as to the issue that caused Demas to slide…

2 Tim 4:10a [F]or Demas (there he is!), (and what happened to him? – Paul goes on to tell us) having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

At least one commentary I read suggests that Thessalonica was Demas’ hometown.

And I mentioned and highlighted in the second blog post that it was the “love of the world” that was the issue with Demas that caused him to backslide and as we’ve read it in the verse again.

THE “BIG THREE”

And I submitted to you the “Big Three” that may have been the downfall of Demas – the “Big Three” – one or more of these sins (along with two others, I talked about): the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life (vanity) from 1 John 2:16 and along with “self-preservation” and the love of money. Any one (or more) of these may have been the downfall of Demas.

And I want to pick up with the second of the “Big Three” now – the lust of the eyes – in the conclusion of this series.

THE LUST OF THE EYES

It might be that it was the lust of the eyes that was the “love of the world” issue that caused Demas’ heart to go cold.

What is the lust of the eyes?

It’s the “strong and sinful desire for gain.” (Dr. Reid) It’s the thinking that says, “I just gotta have that.” And you can go ahead and fill the “that” in you just gotta have. “I just gotta have that item (like money or whatever).” “I just gotta have that.”

And ladies like to shop. I mean, it’s a spiritual gift. Isn’t it? Some ladies will say, “In my Bible it is!” I wasn’t smart enough to come up with a verse to confirm it. Nevertheless, ladies like to shop.

And like I said it about the lust of the flesh, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, in this case, the desire to make a purchase. What makes it bad is when you cross the line and you have to have an item outside the will and parameters of God.

And a good question to ask is: “Does God want me to have it?” Of course, you ladies always ask that question. Right? “Does God want me to have it?” And He always answers, “Yes.” Right?

And I’ll pick on the guys in just a second. I thought I’d save the weaker sex for last.

But I’m talking about the lust of the eyes. It’s the “strong and sinful desire for gain.” It’s where the “keep up with the Jones'” mentality comes from.

And what is it about us that we succumb to wanting or needing more stuff? At least, we think we do.

And I suspect you’ve been to an estate sale. And everybody’s going through everything like a bunch of ants on candy. Right? And it’s all your stuff that you’ve tried to keep nice all those years! And you’ve spent all this money on it! And you’re looking down from heaven (hopefully!) at your son or daughter, and saying, “Don’t sell that for a quarter. How dare you sell that for a quarter!,” whatever the item is.

GAIN VERSUS GIVE

And let me just take a moment to talk about “gain” versus “give.”

And Warren Buffett is just such a good example. A while back the second richest man in the world had determined to give away 85% of his 30 billion dollar fortune to charity.

And could it be that God doesn’t give you much gain because you’ll keep it all to yourself? “Gain” versus “give.” A Christian is supposed to give, not gain.

And, if anything, God’s just trying to save you the anxiety when you’re watching your estate sale from above. If you give it all away, you don’t have anything to fret over.

GUYS AND THE LUST OF THE EYES

Okay, now it’s time for the guys. The lust of the eyes with guys.

And I won’t say much about it except that it’s all about what guys see. Isn’t it? It’s all about what guys see. And especially when it comes to the opposite sex. That’s why guys have such a problem with pornography (versus girls having the problem). It’s the lust of the eyes!

And Jesus said that – what did He say? “[E]veryone who looks (do you see that there?) – [E]veryone who looks (He’s talking about the eyes!) – [E]veryone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

Did you now Jesus was talking about the lust of the eyes when He said that?

And our Lord went even further. And do you remember this statement of Christ?…

“And if your right eye makes you stumble (and so it’s about the eyes again!) – And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29)

He was talking about the lust of the eyes.

And could this have been the “love of the world” issue that caused Demas’ to slide back (as a guy)?

And, according to Jesus here (in Matthew 5:29), you just gotta get drastic with sin in particular, but also with the lust of the eyes if it’s a problem for you. No, you shouldn’t tear your eyes out to be delivered, but you need to be just as down and dirty in other ways. You need to throw out the (pornographic) magazines if that’s your problem. You need to stop watching the videos if that’s your problem. Maybe you even need to stop going to that certain store to shop if you’re a lady.

BOASTFUL PRIDE OF LIFE/VANITY

I want to move on now to #3 of the “Big Three”: The boastful pride of life or vanity.

And this is a tough one for all of us. And especially for people in front of people (like preachers!). But even if you’re not in front of people, it’s a tough one.

And I don’t need to say much about it other than the boastful pride of life or vanity is the “look at me” mentality. (Dr. Reid)

“Look at me.” “I’m so smart.” “I’m so good looking.” “My child is an Honor Roll student at fill in the blank School).” “I’m such a good athlete.”

And then there’s this one when you’re a Christian, “Look at me. I’m so spiritual.”

And, you know, you don’t even have to say it, but it’s what goes on on the inside. Isn’t it? And you can be doing things and really what you’re doing and your motivation even as a Christian to speak in tongues in church is so that people will notice you. Do you think it happens?

This is just such a huge issue. And it may have even been that it was the boastful pride of life/vanity that captured Demas. I mean, he was “in the ministry” with the Apostle Paul of all people. You talk about a “look at me” temptation if there ever was one!

And it may have even started like that – Demas’ downfall – that all he was interested in over a period of time is being seen by others. And he was so concerned about what others thought, too. (Are you concerned about what others “think”?) And it caused Demas’ heart to go cold.

EVE VERSUS THE LORD

And both Eve and our Lord were tempted in each of the “Big Three” areas (the lust of the eyes and the pride of life/vanity that I just developed and the lust of the flesh from Part 2 of this series). I don’t know if you knew that about Eve and Christ.

Genesis chapter 3 says that “[Eve] saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and that [it] was desirable to make one wise (“Look at me how smart I am!” – the boastful pride of life/vanity).” That’s Genesis chapter 3:6 if you want to go and read it for yourself later.

But these things happened to Eve. And so then she took of the tree. And ate. And we (Eve’s descendants, you and me!) have been paying for it ever since.

On the other hand, Luke chapter 4 records that Jesus refused to turn stones into bread (lust of the flesh), Jesus refused to bow down and worship Satan so that He could receive all that His eyes desired of worldly glory (lust of the eyes) – do you remember that? – the devil showed all the kingdoms of the world in a moment’s time to our Lord and said they’d be His if He would turn His back on His Father, but Jesus didn’t give in to the lust of the eyes – and then finally, Jesus refused to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple for a spectacle that all might see His rescue by angels – “He shall give His angels charge over Thee lest You strike Your foot against a stone” – do you remember that one? – it’s “Look at Me, everybody. Look at Me!” – but Jesus refused to do it. In comparison to Eve, Jesus overcame!

It’s encouraging to each of us who have Christ in our hearts. We can overcome the “Big Three” through Jesus! (Philippians 4:13)

IT IS A PERSONAL DECISION TO BACKSLIDE

And, ultimately, it is a personal decision to backslide.

And we like to put the blame on others. We’re so good at that. All of us. Including me.

And there are those who try to rationalize their sliding back on the failures of others in their (the backslider’s) eyes. Know anybody like that?

I mean, “The preacher goes on too long,” or, “He’s too loud. Why does he have to be so loud?,” or, “All he does is talk about money.”

And people backslide over things like this. And other things.

And, ultimately, they’re lame excuses.

I mean, think of all the people in the Bible (and not in the Bible, too, who just were serving the Lord and pressing on under much harsher circumstances) who were sawn in two even (Isaiah?!)and we can’t handle it because the preacher goes too long.

I’ve been talking about a heart gone cold in a series.

Don’t let it be you, friend. Don’t let it be your heart. Fight the good fight of faith. Hold fast against “spiritual regression.”

“BIG THREE” TEST

And could it be it’s one of the “Big Three” that you need help in that area?

(1) The lust of the flesh. Maybe it’s a bodily appetite out of control?
(2) The lust of the eyes. “I just gotta have that item.” No, you don’t. You only need Jesus.
(3) The boastful pride of life/vanity. “Look at me.” Are you controlled by trying to attract attention rather than just being a servant?