Explosion of Joy

Lesslie Newbigin:

There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’ This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel. If one looks at the New Testament evidence one gets another impression. Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving.

From The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Source

"God Is Working Here"

From one of our missionaries, Todd Hiltibran:

About 1% of youth in Sweden have any contact with a church or youth group.

God is working here.

Would you like to know how that makes sense? Stop by Todd's blog to read about how God is using immigration and a growing international church to bring Christianity (and a church-planting movement) back to Sweden. There are these two posts and more to come.

If you give through EFCMM, you have a part in this!

Resurrection, Not Refinement

Dane Ortlund:

It is fantastically easy to smooth over a rotten heart with niceness. The world is filled with nice people who have not been born again—nice, evil people. Niceness and wickedness are not mutually exclusive. They can even be mutually reinforcing (2 Tim 3:1-5).

A converted Christian is not the same person who is now really, really nice. They are not an improved version of the same person but a new person fundamentally re-wired. The new birth does not give us a new way to satisfy our old desires. It gives us new desires.

A believer does not differ from an unbeliever like an NFL linebacker differs from an All-American college linebacker—the same innate ability, only ratcheted up to the next level. A believer differs from an unbeliever as any football player differs from a corpse (Eph 2:1, 5). A true Christian has been granted resurrection, not refinement (Eph 2:6; Col 3:1).

You Can Change #34 (Chapter 4)

In the previous section of this chapter in You Can Change, Tim Chester reminded us that God knows and cares about our struggles, with the chief example being Jesus' life among us as fully divine, yet fully human, with all the experiences that go along with being human.

Now we move on to "God Does Something About Our Struggles." Chester:

But God does so much more than just put an arm around our shoulders. First, he uses our struggles. [...] We can rejoice in suffering when we make the connection between suffering and growth. [...] Second, God not only uses our struggles, he promises to bring them to an end. (64-65)

Each one of these moves is essential. We need to know that God cares, but at the end of the day, we need more than sympathy. It helps to know that he has a purpose for the trials we face, so our pain is not meaningless. Our perspective changes when we understand he is doing something good in us through it. Yet, we can become jaded if we think pain is just a tool that he uses, with no recognition that the bad things we go through really are bad.

Usually, we get off track when we try to out-reason God. "Since God is using this for my good, then it must be good." No, the mystery/miracle is that God can take all things, good or bad in themselves, and use them for his good purpose. Or this, "If God is using it for my good, then I should be happy when I'm suffering." Well, the Bible does tell us to rejoice in our trials (Chester cites three passages along this line), but that doesn't mean that we have to deny that bad things are really painful.

It's a delicate balance, but try to hold these things together. God can use even bad things for my good and his glory, but he promises to take away all bad things one day, when sin is gone, the curse is lifted, tears are wiped away, and death is no more.

Until then, let's see what God's up to.

How have you seen God use your struggles to bring about growth in your life?

Food as God or Gift?

Mike Anderson:

This Thursday you’re probably either going to commit gluttony, or celebrate a feast of thankfulness. It all depends on your heart.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the word gluttony thrown around in a joking way—mostly by people who are clinically overweight like myself. It almost feels like an imaginary sin. But it's real. The Bible tells us that our stomach can be our god (Phil. 3:19). Please take the time to reflect on where food stands in your heart. Is it a god or a gift?

Gluttony is eating more than you need with a greedy heart:

• A heart that is seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in the food.
• A heart that just wants more and more.
• A heart that isn’t satisfied.
• A heart that thinks you deserve it.
• A heart that is focused inward on yourself instead of outward on God and others.

Feasting is enjoying a meal with people you love & thanks for God’s provision:

• Enjoying the people that God has brought into your life—even the weird ones.
• Thanking God for providing.
• Experiencing the common grace of delicious food.
• Remembering that God tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8).
• Anticipating the meal that we’ll eat with Jesus at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

Food as God

Food, like money, sex, and power, is often used as a substitute for something only God can give. It can bring satisfaction, comfort, escape, and even a source of identity. It’s a false savior.

Food as Gift

My hope and prayer is that you, and all of the people that you pass this on to, would not feel guilt about food. That would be falling right into Satan’s trap. What I hope you do is go to Jesus, tell him what’s in your heart, and ask for the Spirit to make your heart feel what your head knows—that God is God and food is just a gift.

You Can Change #33 (Chapter 4)

God cares about our struggles.

That's the heading for this section of chapter four in You Can Change. Before we go any further in a discussion of the challenges we face, we need to establish this in our minds and reaffirm our faith.

Tim Chester cites Exodus 3:7-8, but I'm partial to Exodus 2:23-25 myself:

²³ During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. ²⁴ And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. ²⁵ God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Of course, in the chapters that follow, it shows that God was not just aware of their plight, but he most certainly came to their rescue.

Jesus, God the Son, came to our rescue, but it's good for us to reflect on the fact that he did more than descend to earth, die on the cross, then return to heaven. He took on flesh so that he could die (yes!), but he also walked among us, living in our messed-up world with all the temptation and pain that goes with it.

Jesus is a remarkable Savior! He is not so strong that he could not identify with weakness, yet he did not become like us to the point that he could no longer save us.

It's too easy to think about our problems and start to get angry or defensive. When we are convinced that God knows, really knows, our struggles, then we can think more objectively about our difficulties and their temptations.

Can you think of a story of Jesus from Scripture that would show that he knows your kind of temptation or pain?

The Three Most Disturbing Words on TV

Mike Cosper:

There are other terrors that lurk in primetime slots of our national networks. Few Christians would openly defend viewing a show like Rock of Love, but who doesn’t get teary-eyed watching the final moments of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Never mind that it’s a spinoff of a show about radical plastic surgery, EMHE pulls together a whole community to give a deserving family a new, grandiose home. Who could argue with that?

Which brings me to the three most disturbing words on television: “Move that bus.”

Again, there’s no arguing with the warmth and altruistic sentiments of the show. The families who have been profiled always seem to be wonderful people, I don’t impugn them or the show’s creators with secret evil intentions. But a disturbing thing happens in the final moments of the show. After profiling the family’s suffering, after talking about hardship and perseverance, after recruiting an army of volunteers, the family is brought in front of the new home, which is hidden from view by a large touring bus. They count down and call out those three words, and the reaction can only be described as worship. There are tears and shouting while people fall to their knees, hands raised in the air.

Here it is on bold display: the ultimate hope of most Americans. It’s as though a phantom voice is responding to their suffering with the words, Well done, good and faithful servant. Here is your reward: dreamy bedrooms, big-screen TVs, privacy fencing, and wireless internet. We watch. We weep. And we hope for ourselves. It’s yet another gospel alternative, this one packaged as a heart-warming vision of the way life is “supposed to be.”

Instead of just asking yourself about lust when you watch a film, ask yourself about hope. What’s the hope being proclaimed? What other desires are being stirred? Does it feed your sense of self-righteousness? Does it give you cause for contempt? Or does it give you a call to worship at the feet of the American dream?

You Can Change #32 (Chapter 4)

We have come to chapter four of You Can Change, titled "When Do You Struggle?"

Our circumstances and situations have a significant effect on our lives. As Chester says at the end of the introduction to this chapter, "We are messed-up people living in a messed-up world."

There's a lot of truth in that statement. It recognizes the reality that there is a lot of wrong that is in me, and a lot of wrong that is coming at me. I am both responsible for sin and suffering, and I am the victim of sin and suffering-- occasionally both at the same time.

This can make it complicated as we try to understand our sin and try to grow in holiness. Without ignoring our responsibility for our actions and even our responses to the wrongs done to us, it is wise to think through the ways we are led into sin by our circumstances.

Rather than getting us off the hook ("It's those stupid people's fault that I'm angry!"), this should help us examine our hearts and pursue God's work in our lives.

When, how, or with whom are you most often tempted?

Are you putting yourself in situations where you are more likely to give in?

Built with Wisdom from God

Other ancient civilizations had flood stories that still survive today, but they are much different than the biblical account.

Bruce Waltke:

The hero of the Babylonian account of the flood is Utnapishtim. It says he was given another name meaning something like “Super-genius.” The Bible says Noah was righteous and walked with God (Genesis 6:9; 7:1). But who was really smart? Utnapishtim built his boat as a giant cube, 180 feet in length, width and height, with a displacement of over 200,000 tons. It would have sunk to the bottom like a stone. Noah built something like a modern battleship, 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet high, with a displacement of around 43,300 tons. The Bible never says Noah was a super-genius. But he did walk with God. And guess what? It worked out for him.

Source

Q&A about Noah's Ark

This morning, we looked at Noah and the story of the Great Flood in Genesis 6-7. While we focused on certain key points in the text related to sin, judgment, and salvation, it's natural for us to have other "practical" questions. Here are some answers to common questions related to Noah and the ark.

How Could this Small Ark Hold Hundreds of Thousands of Species?

But assuming the flood was universal, the question remains as to how Noah could get all those animals in the ark. Engineers, computer programmers, and wildlife experts have all taken a look at the problem, and their consensus is that the ark was sufficient to the task.

The ark was actually a huge structure – the size of a modern ocean liner, with three levels of deck (Gen. 6.13), which tripled its space to over 1.5 million cubic feet. This equals 569 railroad box cars.

Second, the modern concept of “species” is not the same as a “kind” in the Bible. But even if it were, there are probably only some 72,000 different kinds of land animals which t ark would have needed to contain. Since the average size of land animals is smaller than a cat, less than half of the ark would be needed to store 150,000 animals – more than there probably were. Insects take only a very small space. The sea animals stayed in the sea, and many species could have survived in egg form. There would have been plenty of room left over for eight people and food storage.

Third, Noah could have take younger or smaller varieties of some larger animals. Given all these factors, there was plenty of room for all the animals, food for the trip, and the eight humans aboard.

How Could a Wooden Ship Stay Afloat in Such a Violent Storm?

The ark was made of a strong and flexible material (gopher wood). Gopher wood “gives” without breaking. The heavy load gave the ark stability. Also, naval architects report that a long box-shaped, floating boxcar, such as the ark, is the most stable kind of craft in turbulent waters. One former naval architect concluded: “Noah’s Ark was extremely stable, more stable in fact, than modern shipping” (see D. Collins, “Was Noah’s Ark Stable?” CRSQ).

Indeed, modern ocean liners follow the same basic proportions. However, their stability is lessened by the need to slice through the water with as little drag as possible. There is no reason Noah’s ark could not have survived a gigantic even world-wide flood. Modern stability tests have shown that such a vessel could take up to 20-foot-high waves and could tip as much as 90 degrees and still right itself.

How Could Noah’s Family and the Animals Survive so Long in the Ark?

Another answer is that living things can do almost anything they must to survive, as long as they have enough food and water. Many of the animals may have gone into hibernation or semi-hibernation. And Noah had plenty of room for food on the inside an abundant water on the outside to draw on.

From The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics by Norman Geisler

Source

Responding to Those Who Leave the Church

Drew Dyck, on young adults who leave the church:

The reasons that 20- and 30-somethings are leaving are complex. A significant part of leaving has to do with the new culture we live in, and there is only so much to be done about that. But we in the church have control over at least one part of the equation: how we respond.

While we feel rightly perplexed, if not devastated, when loved ones leave, we should not let grief carry us away. I talked with one parent who was despondent over his grown son's loss of faith. He said his son was "into satanic stuff." After a little probing, I found that the son was really a garden variety pluralist. He loved Jesus but saw him as one figure in a pantheon of spiritual luminaries. This is a far cry from his father's assessment. I cringed inwardly when I imagined them discussing matters of faith.

Christians often have one of two opposite and equally harmful reactions when they talk with someone who has left the faith: they go on the offensive, delivering a homespun, judgmental sermon, or they freeze in a defensive crouch and fail to engage at all.

Another unsettling pattern emerged during my interviews. Almost to a person, the leavers with whom I spoke recalled that, before leaving the faith, they were regularly shut down when they expressed doubts. Some were ridiculed in front of peers for asking "insolent questions." Others reported receiving trite answers to vexing questions and being scolded for not accepting them. One was slapped across the face, literally.

At the 2008 American Sociological Association meeting, scholars from the University of Connecticut and Oregon State University reported that "the most frequently mentioned role of Christians in de-conversion was in amplifying existing doubt." De-converts reported "sharing their burgeoning doubts with a Christian friend or family member only to receive trite, unhelpful answers."

Churches often lack the appropriate resources. We have programs geared for gender- and age-groups and for those struggling with addictions or exploring the faith. But there's precious little for Christians struggling with the faith. [...]

The answer, of course, lies in more than offering another program. Nor should we overestimate the efficacy of slicker services or edgy outreach. Only with prayer and thoughtful engagement will at least some of the current exodus be stemmed.

One place to begin is by rethinking how we minister to those from youth to old age. There's nothing wrong with pizza and video games, nor with seeker-sensitive services, nor with low-commitment small groups that introduce people to the Christian faith. But these cannot replace serious programs of discipleship and catechism. The temptation to wander from the faith is not a new one. The apostle Paul exhorted the church at Ephesus to strive to mature every believer, so that "we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph. 4:14, ESV).

Ultimately we will have to undertake the slow but fruitful work of building relationships with those who have left the faith. This means viewing their skepticism for what it often is: the tortured language of spiritual longing. And once we've listened long and hard to their stories, and built bridges of trust, we will be ready to light the way back home.

You Can Change #31 (Chapter 3)

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

Sometimes people say conversion is all God's work, but sanctification is a cooperation between us and God. Neither statement is entirely true. Conversion is all God's work, but we have a responsibility to respond with faith and repentance. But it turns out that faith and repentance are also God's work in us, his gift to us. God opens blind eyes. God grants repentance (Mark 8:18-30; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6; 2 Timothy 2:25). That's why conversion is entirely an act of God's grace. But, at God's initiative and with God's help, we're involved. And it's the same with sanctification. Sanctification is God's work. But we're not passive. We have to respond wit faith and repentance. And again it turns out that faith and repentance are God's work in us. So salvation from start to finish is God's work, in which we are active participants through faith and repentance by the grace of God. (55)

This section might seem a little dense, but let me see if I can help. Justification, specifically (being made right before God) is something only God can do in Christ because I am unrighteous and only Jesus is righteous. I can't "get righteous" any other way-- it's only from God. However, as Chester notes, conversion (turning from sin to Christ in faith), does involve me, my thoughts, my heart, my actions. It is still by God's grace, in God's power, but I am involved. It's both a human decision and a divine miracle.

This is no more or less true of my ongoing life as a disciple of Christ. I must think, pray, decide, learn, choose, and so on, yet these too are by God's grace. This means I must have the basic stance of faith: depending on God for what I need and how I grow, even though I am to be active, not passive. It's not easy to maintain this balance, but it is true and the only way to grow.

Tomorrow's sermon is on Noah from Genesis 6 and 7. Listen for the combination and interaction of grace, faith, obedience, righteousness, and salvation in this story.

Learning from the Mistakes of Others

Are you familiar with the people of Westboro Baptist Church?

Kevin DeYoung explains:

Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is well known for protesting funerals, desecrating American flags, and promoting its signature message that “God Hates Fags.”

He asks:

But might there be something conservative evangelicals can learn from Westboro? Not any positive lessons mind you, but anything we can glean from their monumentally misguided example?

He answers:

1. Any truth promoted to the exclusion of other truths can become an untruth.

2. It matters how we’re heard.

3. We must refuse to play into the binary stereotype which says the opposite of unconditional affirmation is fuming hatred.

Go here for his elaboration on each point.

You Can Change #30 (Chapter 3)

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

Without Jesus we can never break free from sin's grip. But Jesus came to set us free from sin and destroy Satan's power. he's begun a process in us that will end with our becoming like God: "we are God's children now... we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). That process isn't yet complete, so we still fall into sin. But we're no longer enslaved by sin. We can change.

More than that, John says holiness has now been written into our DNA! "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God (1 John 3:9). That's the negative: not sinning is in our DNA. Later John states the positive: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). Love is in our DNA. (54)

Chester acknowledges earlier in this section that these verses can make us question whether or not we are a believer. But just as surely as they challenge us to consider whether we really are born again, they should be an encouragement that if we are indeed born again, God's life is in us in a way that will undoubtedly, unfailingly produce change-- growth in godliness.

So, as you examine yourself, do look for sin. But don't be discouraged when you find it, because you will always find some. Just be quick to confess and receive the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ. This is how these verses hold together:

1 John 1:7-10
⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

And when you examine yourself, do also look for love. Look for good deeds. Look for love for Christian brothers and sisters. And when you see these things, be glad and be thankful to God! He has given you life, and he is making you more like himself.

Is there someone you can encourage by telling them how you've seen God changing them?

Profile of a Humble Athlete

From the Crossway blog:

One way we as athletes can glorify God in our play is by cultivating humility. In Don't Waste Your Sports, C. J. Mahaney points out this astonishing truth: Humility gets God’s attention (see Isaiah 66:2).

Here’s a profile of the humble athlete:

• A humble athlete recognizes his limitations. We all come with divinely imposed limitations—limitations meant to humble us.
• The humble athlete welcomes critique and correction from coaches and teammates. If we’re humble, we realize that we have weaknesses, so we welcome correction. If we’re humble, we know we need to improve, so we want others to show us where and how.
• The humble athlete acknowledges the contribution of others. No athlete accomplishes anything alone.
• The humble athlete is gracious in defeat and modest in victory. When the humble athlete loses, he recognizes that his opponents played better, and he sincerely congratulates them on their win. And when the humble athlete wins, there are no excessive celebrations, no inappropriate victory dances. He realizes that victory is a gift from God and is an opportunity to draw attention to God, not himself.
• The humble athlete honors his coach. He doesn’t rip the coach in private, he doesn’t slouch when on the bench, he expresses gratitude and accepts the role the coach chooses for him.
• The humble athlete respects the officials. He doesn’t protest a call—even if it was inaccurate.
• The humble athlete gives glory for all his athletic accomplishment to God. He knows that all of his athletic skill is ultimately a gift from God.

You Can Change #29 (Chapter 3)

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

The Spirit gives us the desire to do what is right and opposes our old sinful desires to do what is wrong. Our job is to follow the Spirit. Imagine a child being taught to paint by her father. Her father wraps his hand around hers, guiding each stroke of the brush. The Spirit is God's guiding hand in our lives. Whenever we want to do the wrong thing or react in the wrong way, the Spirit opposes those wrong desires. And we should be led by the Spirit. Whenever we want to do the right thing, that is the Spirit at work. We should be led by the Spirit even though the sinful nature doesn't like it. When you feel this conflict, go with the Spirit. Walk in step with the Spirit. Follow those Spirit-prompted desires. (52)

This section prompted a few different thoughts:

What a gift the Holy Spirit is to us. If the Holy Spirit does all this in our lives, how blessed we are to have received him. It's good to remember that, for all our discussion of "spiritual gifts," the very presence of the Spirit in us is described as gift (Luke 11:13, Acts 2:38).

Keeping in step with the Spirit is not another task. Even though Chester says, "Our job is to follow the Spirit," this whole chapter has been reminding us not to think of change as something we do by our effort, but something God does in us as we trust him.

Following the Spirit is not automatic. You might think that the presence of the Spirit and his regenerating work in our lives would automatically lead to holy living. In some sense, the fruit of the Spirit is the result of his work in our lives, but Paul has to remind the Galatians (and us) to walk in the Spirit. I like the way Chester put it: "When you feel this conflict [between the Spirit and sinful desires], go with the Spirit." Don't go with your gut, go with the Spirit!

Being intimately acquainted with the Word will help you recognize the promptings of the Spirit. The Spirit of God works through the Word of God, so if you're not sure if you're following your own instincts, desires, or the Spirit, the Scriptures will help you determine this. The Spirit does not contradict the Word.

How can we be more mindful of the Spirit in our daily lives?

Give Yourself Without Reserve to the Cause

Dan Jarvis writes about the commitments of "the Father of Modern Missions":

William Carey, along with his colleagues and their families, entered into the Serampore Covenant in 1805. It sheds light on the kind of commitment, heart, and sacrifice required to lay the groundwork for revival. These statements were reviewed three times a year:*

1. Set an infinite value on men's souls.

2. Acquaint ourselves with the snares which hold the minds of the people.

3. Abstain from whatever deepens India's prejudice gainst the gospel.

4. Watch for every chance of doing the people good.

5. Preach "Christ crucified" as the grand means of conversions.

6. Esteem and treat Indians always as our equals.

7. Guard and build up "the hosts that may be gathered."

8. Cultivate their spiritual gifts, ever pressing upon them their missionary obligation, since Indians only can win India for Christ.

9. Labor unceasingly in biblical translation.

10. Be instant in the nurture of personal religion.

11. Give ourselves without reserve to the Cause, "not counting even the clothes we wear our own."

*Abridged; full text available in the 1884 edition of A Short History of Christian Missions, by George Smith, page 163; archived at Google Books.

You Can Change #28 (Chapter 3)

"How are you going to change?" is the question this chapter asks. The answer cannot be "I'm going to start a new program of..." or "I'm really going to try harder to..." or "I have a new level of commitment to..."

These cannot be the answer because they are about what we do. Instead, we must focus on what God does as the "active ingredient" of change in our lives. In the last section, we saw that we are changed through the loving discipline of the Father. Now we see how the Son is involved: we have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection so that we are set free from sin.

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

Jesus sets us free from the penalty of sin, i.e., death. But Jesus also sets us free from the power of sin, i.e., slavery. We're free to live for God. Telling a slave to be free is to add insult to injury. But telling a liberated slave to be free is an invitation to enjoy his new freedom and privileges. (49)

Of course, though free from sin, we are to consider ourselves slave to God. We must obey his commands. But it's a very different perspective to consider our life in Christ as an invitation to enjoy freedom, rather than another obligation. Who wouldn't want to live as a faithful Christian with eager devotion instead of dread?

How can we "abide in Christ"?

What makes the difference between this and empty religion or legalism?

Heartache or Happiness

A. W. Tozer:

The best thing is neither to seek nor avoid troubles but to follow Christ and take the bitter with the sweet as it may come. Whether we are happy or unhappy at any given time is not important. That we be in the will of God is all that matters. We may safely leave with him the incident of heartache or happiness. He will know how much we need of either or both.

From We Travel an Appointed Way

Source

You Can Change #27 (Chapter 3)

We're in the middle of chapter 3 in You Can Change, which is titled "How Are You Going to Change?" The first half described the wrong way to change, which really came down to anything we try to do on our own, in our own effort. Now we've moved on to the right means of change, which are the ways that God effects change in our lives. First, we look at "the liberating work of the Father."

Hebrews 12:10-11

10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Tim Chester:

The Father is using all the circumstances of our lives to make us more holy. His work in our lives will ultimately produce "a harvest of righteousness and peace."

This doesn't mean that bad things in our lives are a direct retribution for some specific misconduct. God never punishes us since Christ has already paid the price of our sin in full. God always and only disciplines us to strengthen our relationship with him. It is always an act of love. It's a sign that we are truly God's children (Hebrews 12:8). God uses hardship (Hebrews 12:7) to weaken our allegiance to this world and set our hope on the world to come, to weaken our dependence on worldly things and strengthen our faith in him (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9). Even the sinless Son of God was made perfect by God through suffering (Hebrews 2:10). (47)

I don't believe that this can be overstated: This is a crucial difference in perspective that can make a radical difference in our everyday attitudes. Do we look at our suffering as God punishing us? It's worthwhile to examine ourselves for sin, to see if we have brought on certain consequences, but we should be confident, because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, that God is not punishing us. Jesus took our punishment-- every bit of it-- if our trust is in him.

Furthermore, whatever hardship that God, in his wisdom, brings into our lives is meant to refine us. The Bible uses the image of refining gold to describe this same idea: the fire burns away the impurities to leave only the purest, most precious gold. The question is, "Can we see it that way?" Then after that, "Can we respond to trials in a different way because of this reality?"

We usually respond to suffering with complaints and arguments. "Why me, God?" "Why did you allow this?" "What have I done to deserve this?" "Don't you love me?" Instead of pressing into God with faith, we push back at him. He tries to hold us, and we are arching our backs.

Instead, we should be falling limp into his arms, giving up the fight and resting in his promises to us. He promises that he will always be with us, that he will work everything for our good, and that he will make everything right in the end. "If God is for me, who can be against me?" "If he gave up his only Son for me, won't he give me everything else I need?"

One more thing-- be careful with the line, "God is trying to teach me something through this." That's fine, if you mean something like Tim Chester says above: learning to let go of this world and beginning to hope in God alone. But don't fret over some specific lesson or elusive insight, expecting that it will immediately make the pain of suffering somehow make sense. The "why" questions are not answered now, and it all doesn't add up until eternity.

The first half of the chapter was pointing us to walking by faith, and that is exactly what we see here. Trust God and see him work in your life. He will change you, but be ready-- it will probably be painful.

Have you complained to God about any painful experiences, and then saw how he worked them for good?

Can you think of more biblical promises to help us respond in faith to trials?

Cautions about Culture Wars

C. John Collins gives a few cautions when using warfare imagery when we think about our response to the surrounding culture:

The first is that we can forget that worldviews involve not just philosophical positions but also moral commitments; and that back behind unbelief there lies a demonic enslaver. As Paul put it in Ephesians 6,

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. . . . 18 [Pray] at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints . . .

There is a spiritual component to this battle; and therefore, all our intellectual efforts must express our faithfulness to Christ and must be bathed in prayer. We must never use the weapons of unbelief—dishonesty, slander, name-calling, and so on.

The second danger, related to the first, is that we can forget that the unbeliever is not the person we’re fighting against; rather, he is the person we are fighting for: that is, the purpose of all this is to free people from their slavery to the Devil.

The third danger that arises is that we can forget that any Christian—and any Christian church—always has only a partial grasp of a fully Christian worldview; and even those parts that we grasp rightly, we practice only partly. So some of our “warfare” ought to be against our own imperfections!

The warfare image is a biblical one, to be sure; but we will do well to be careful how we use it.

From Science and Faith

Source

Adoration and Action

Miroslav Volf:

One of the most significant accomplishments of the Protestant reformation was overcoming the monastic understanding of the relations between the life of contemplation (VITA CONTEMPLATIVA) and life of action (VITA ACTIVA). Almost five centuries later, some important segments of Protestant Christianity (especially of the evangelical brand) are still caught in the false dichotomy between the sacred and the secular and are operating with a pre-reformation understanding of the relation between (what they term) spiritual worship and secular work. In the context of the reflection on the Christian understanding of worship, it is important therefore to recall Luther's rediscovery of the Christian calling to active service of God in the world and to reflect on its biblical roots . . .

Christian worship consists both in obedient service to God and in the joyful praise of God. Both of these elements are brought together in Hebrews 13:15-16, a passage that comes close to giving a definition of Christian worship: "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is please." The sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of good works are two fundamental aspects of the Christian way of being-in-the-world. They are at the same time the two constitutive elements of Christian worship: authentic Christian worship takes place in a rhythm of adoration and action.

From Worship: Adoration and Action

Source

He Shall Reign... at the Mall

“On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation’s “Random Acts of Culture” at Macy’s in Center City Philadelphia. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world’s largest pipe organ - the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers.”

What always gets to me when I hear this piece or the whole Messiah performed by a non-Christian group is how fitting it is to have all people proclaiming the reign of Christ.

Philippians 2:9-11

⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Source

Bruised Reeds

Matthew 12:18-21

¹⁸ “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; ²⁰ a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; ²¹ and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Richard Sibbes:

After conversion we need bruising, that reeds may know themselves to be reeds and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. . . . Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly. This reed, till he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than pith. ‘Though all forsake thee, I will not.’ The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroic deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do.

Source

Justice and the Gospel

It's not exactly a debate, but it is a clarifying conversation between evangelicals of differing views on the place of justice in the life of the church, and how it relates to the gospel. Skye Jethani hosts, and Mark Dever and Jim Wallis weigh in.

They mention Tim Keller quite a bit in the video, and his new book is on my reading list--Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just.

You Can Change #26 (Chapter 3)

From You Can Change:

Jesus does what legalism can never do: he gives us a new heart and a new spirit. Without this inner transformation, we can never please God. People aren't changed by therapy or analysis-- not even biblical analysis. They are changed by God. God is in the business of change. (46-47)

Each section of the chapter to this point, and each of my posts here in response, have dealt with this reality: the Bible, being God's Word, is good and true, but we cannot use it as a mere tool in an attempt to change ourselves. That is legalism, and that doesn't work.

What a relief it should be to approach God through his Word in spiritual disciplines by faith! The difference that faith makes is that we are relying exclusively on God's ability and desire to work through his Word to change us by his power.

I'd understand if you were to ask at this point, "If Jesus has given me a new heart, shouldn't all this come a lot easier?" Here are a few things to keep in mind.

You have been made new, and you are being made new (Col. 3:7-10). Both are true! Now, in Christ, pleasing God is a real possibility for you in your life. Before, without Christ, that was a real impossibility. That's why you may not feel radically different, but you are.

Yes, you are radically different, yet you have a long way to go. In fact, that's what this whole discussion is about. Keep changing, growing, moving toward greater Christ-likeness.

Even though the Bible is God's Word, why is it helpful to remember specifically that it is God that changes us?

How might we be tempted to use the things God has given us for our growth and turn them into tools that bring glory to us?

Get to Work vs. It Is Finished

Here's something from Jared Wilson that complements the previous post:

The utter uniqueness of the Christian message—the heart of the gospel—is found in the three words of Christ from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Every single other religious message, without exception, is predicated on some variation of another three words that stand starkly opposed to the gospel’s three words. Religion’s three words are: “Get to work.” This is the heart of the bad news behind every approach to spirituality, enlightenment, or salvation that is not Christian.

*****

As long as we are clinging to “Get to work,” we will live powerless lives. We can no more wring life-change out of religion than we could orange juice from an apple. But if we cling to that cross, remaining aware of our own powerlessness and desperately trusting in “It is finished,” we will find the power and peace to worshipfully work in freedom and with joy.

You Can Change #25 (Chapter 3)

Tim Chester, in You Can Change:

Legalism is appealing for two reasons.

First, it makes holiness manageable. A heart wholly devoted to God is a tough demand, but a list of ten rules I can cope with. [...]

Second, legalism makes holiness an achievement on our part. "Yes, I was saved by grace," the legalist says, "but I'm the godly person I am today because I've kept this code of behavior or practiced these spiritual disciplines." (44, breaks added)

Our attempts at "manageable holiness" are futile, but revealing. They show that we don't want to be in that uncomfortable position of having to rely on God. We think that if we could just reduce the Christian life to something we can handle, then it won't be so bad. There would be less difficulty, less uncertainty.

The problems here are many. The Christian life really is more than we can handle whether we want to see it that way or not. God would rather us be honestly, humbly imperfect while trusting him, rather than perfect (by our standards) on our own.

Having a level of personal spiritual "achievement" may be appealing (Chester's second point above), but it is ultimately damning because it turns grace on its head. Grace is about God giving me what I don't deserve out of his generous mercy. Legalism is about what I have accomplished and therefore earned. So, not only are we kidding ourselves, we are insulting God.

This is why the author says we must "repent not only of our sin but also of our 'righteousness' when we think of it as our righteousness." We need a righteousness not based on law-keeping, but on faith in Christ, receiving his righteousness (Philippians 3:4-9).

Can you think of a way that you have tried to make holiness more manageable?

What are some areas that may be tempting for Christians to compare themselves with others?

How can we focus with faith on Christ rather than measuring our ourselves and comparing ourselves with others?

Free Audio Book - Don't Waste Your Life

Head over to ChristianAudio.com for a download of their free audio book of the month: John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. You can't beat free!

Or, if you still like to read your books, you can download a free pdf file of the book here.

You Can Change #24 (Chapter 3)

In You Can Change, chapter 3, in the section called "What the Law Can and Can't Do," Chester says:

We become Christians by faith in Jesus, we stay Christians by faith in Jesus, and we grow as Christians by faith in Jesus. [...] It's not just that trying to live by laws and disciplines is useless-- it's a backward step. It's a step back into slavery, which ends up undermining grace and hope. (43-44)

Once again, we might be confused by his comments here. Spiritual disciplines are a "backward step... into slavery"--really?

Let's be clear: obedience to God is never optional. See Romans 6 if you wonder whether grace allows Christians to "go on sinning." As we saw a couple of posts ago (#22), we have been freed from slavery to sin to become slaves to God. Obedience is necessary, it is required, but obeying God's commands is not what makes us more holy.

Spiritual disciplines can be that wrong kind of slavery, if we do them in our own effort rather than in faith. This should be easy enough to recognize. Just think back over your own experience with spiritual disciplines. Have you every been frustrated that, even if you began well, you ended up in an empty routine? Did you get to the point where you were just gritting your teeth and grinding it out?

When that's been true for me, I think I settled into the disciplines for their own sake, as a "good deed" or mark of personal performance, rather than a means for fellowship with God. Yes, we need to be regular and consistent in our worship, giving, and serving, but they should be something we do because God calls us to do them, and by faith trusting God to make us holy and righteous.

It seems that a passage that goes along with our last and next sermon (Gen 4, 5) fits here as well:

Hebrews 11:4-6

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

By faith-- not by law.

What characterizes a law-based approach to the Christian life?

What are some of the signs that you're doing your Bible reading, prayer, church attendance as law rather than by faith?

Why is this ultimately ineffective?