Paul's Valuation of Greatness

As you read through Matthew 18-20, there is a constant contrast between what Jesus says is great in the Kingdom of Heaven with what is seen as great in the world. Jesus consistently makes a point that worldly greatness is diametrically opposed to heavenly greatness. In the world, we love prestige, power, riches, rights, and personal achievements that gain esteem from others. In contrast, Jesus values serving, neediness, vulnerability, sacrifice, and humility. The world is a place for the pursuit of comfort and ease while those in the Kingdom of Christ face persecution and suffering. The Kingdom of Christ values greatness as that which reflects the glorious humility of Jesus in saving us through enduring God’s wrath in our place. Paul tells us that his life imitates these contrasting values, and in this way gives us a picture of a 180 degree transformation that we should expect when we know salvation.

In Philippians 3, Paul tells us about his pre-Christian life. He was esteemed for his heritage, position, and power as a persecutor of the church. Philippians 3:4-7 – “Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” In addition to this, Paul makes it clear that these very attributes that we read in Philippians were attributes of ignorance compared to what is truly glorifying in Christ. He says to Timothy, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…” (1 Timothy 1:12-13).

As Paul sees the reality of his former life as an unbeliever, he considers what is valued most by the world to be what is now valued least by him. Philippians 3:7-8 – “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

In great contrast to what Paul no longer values as a Christian, we find Paul confronted by men in Corinth who wish to bring worldly values of greatness into the church. In 2 Corinthians Paul seems to be accused of not having the ability to command great crowds, earn money, and grow in popularity. The accusing protagonists in Corinth who seem to be known as “super apostles” seem to argue that Paul is to be rejected because he shows none of the greatness that we so often evaluate by worldly standards. Paul’s answer is to say that his greatness (even though he does not like to talk this way) is found in God’s power working through his weakness.

2 Corinthians 11:16-30 – “I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of – I am speaking as a fool – I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one – I am talking like a madman – with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

If you were to ask Paul to evaluate his life and tell you what he thought was greatest and least, he would not value the way the world does. Paul would value his own name, position, power, heritage, esteem from men, or abilities to be least in his life. His greater value would be God’s glory that sustained him as he experienced continuous suffering as a slave of the Suffering Servant, Jesus.

Look at your life. What does your greatness valuation system look like?

The Reality of Heavenly Rewards

When Jesus was answering the rich young ruler about receiving eternal life, he told the young man to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and come and follow him. This was a pious young man who seemed to think he was keeping the commandments (at least the ones Jesus mentioned), and yet he still sensed that being right with God for eternity would require more than that. He was right: it required putting his faith in Jesus and forsaking all to follow Christ. Jesus told this young man that if he did so he would receive “treasures in heaven.” But the young man was too invested in his treasures on earth to follow Jesus and went away sorrowful.

In comparison, Peter declared to Jesus that he and the other disciples had left everything to follow him. Even though it does not seem that Peter sold his possessions and gave them to the poor, it does seem that Peter and his brother Andrew left their livelihood of fishing to follow Christ and become fishers of men. Matthew also left his tax booth to follow Jesus. The rest of the disciples appear to have followed suit, and church tradition would suggest that most of them forfeited their lives for Jesus. Peter therefore asks Jesus, “What then will we have?” (vs. 27).

Jesus’ answer spans both their participation in Jesus’ authority and a hope for an inheritance beyond human comprehension.

1.     Authority:

The first thing Jesus mentions is that in the “new world” (or directly translated – new birth), “When the Son of man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (vs. 28). Scholars have various views about what this means. Does it mean that the twelve apostles will one day judge the physical people of Israel? Does it mean that these twelve represent all those of the new birth? Either way, participating in Jesus’ kingly authority is not a concept found in this text alone. In Luke 22 during what we know as the Last Supper, an argument broke out among the disciples about greatness. Jesus once again reminded the disciples that in the Kingdom of Heaven the least is greatest. Even so, he again told them, "You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30).

In other places in the New Testament, statements of participation in Christ’s kingship are made to other believers beyond the twelve apostles. In 1 Corinthians 4:8, Paul reminds the church at Corinth that in Christ we share rule as kings. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul tells Ephesus that we have been raised and seated with Christ who has been raised and seated in ultimate power. We find similar statements throughout the book of Revelation. Whatever Jesus meant in speaking to his disciples about sitting on twelve thrones and judging Israel, it points to the fact that in Christ there is a wonderful participation in his kingship.

2.     Inheritance.

Jesus then says to Peter and the other disciples that “… everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29). In contrast to the last verse, Jesus now explicitly says that EVERYONE who sacrifices for Jesus will receive one hundredfold in eternity. Whether it is family, land, or homes, our expectation should be that there is an incomprehensible difference for what we might suffer in this world now compared to the reward that awaits in the new creation. The fact that Jesus uses the term “one hundredfold” tells us that there is an incomparable difference between what we might not have for the sake of Christ in this world to what we will have in Christ in the next. Our inheritance in Christ will be exponentially better than the best we could hope for here. We will only know this in Christ.

The last verse of Matthew 19 is the verse that we must never overlook. Jesus says, “many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30). In the context of the whole discussion coming from the interaction with the rich young ruler, surely the disciples hear this and understand that what is valued most in this world is actually a hinderance to knowing the exponentially greater value in Christ. Riches in this world can be the focus that keeps us from greater riches, true riches, in the next. Those with positions of power in this world may find that their focus on power here has kept them from participating in Jesus’ authority in the next. The way of the Kingdom of Heaven is not in our ability or status or good works or anything else we deem as deserving of greatness here on earth. The way of the Kingdom of Heaven is the way of Christ, the one who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Those who lose all for the sake of Christ gain one hundredfold as we participate in his reign.

The Intensity of Following Jesus

 In Luke 18:18-23 Jesus comes across a rich ruler who wants to obtain eternal life but is not willing to give up his earthly wealth to follow Christ. Jesus told him to sell everything and give it to the poor and to “come, follow me.” Instead of following Christ, this young man walks away sorrowful.

What is Jesus saying about what it means to follow him? What must we leave in order to follow Christ? It would seem to me that the answer is everything. We must leave everything in order to make Jesus everything. If Jesus is to be our Savior, he cannot take second place to our earthly ambitions and desires.

This seems to be the case every time that Jesus calls someone to follow him.  Let’s consider some of these instances.

Matthew 4:19 – “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”

Peter and Andrew were hoping for a catch that provided for their families. When Jesus walked past these two men, he didn’t ask them to consider how they might fit him in around fishing.  He told them to follow him then and there.  They immediately left their nets and followed him. The family business was not to be greater priority than Christ.

Matthew 8:22 – “And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’”

In Matthew 8:18-22 we see two negative examples of people who are not willing to be followers of Jesus.  One man asks to go wherever Jesus goes, but Jesus’ answer to him implies that he was not willing to give up his comforts to be with Jesus, a man who had nowhere to lay his head. A second man wanted to follow Jesus but wanted Jesus to wait to allow him to bury his father. This may have even meant that he needed to wait until the day his father died. Life can only be found in Jesus and without Christ even the living in this world are already dead. You cannot receive life in Christ and be more concerned about the worldly dead, even if it is your own father.

Matthew 9:9 – “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.”

Matthew was a tax collector. He earned his money, and likely lots of it, from collecting tax for the Romans. In such a role, he would already have been more concerned with making money than being loyal to his own people (at least how they saw it).  Matthew left his secure income under Roman rule to immediately follow Jesus.

Matthew 10:38 – “‘And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.’”

Matthew 16:24 – “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”

Jesus simply says to us that we must be willing to die to self and all that drives us in this world to follow him. He is to be our only hope and source of life.

When Jesus says “follow me” to the rich young ruler, he is saying to give up everything to put all his faith and hope in Jesus, to follow him despite all his desires, ambitions, and affections in and for this world. Jesus must be first and there must be an infinite distance between him and whatever is in second place. When the Scriptures speak of Jesus as Lord, we must realize that when we follow Christ, we are following our Lord. We cannot have two kings. That is the intensity of following Jesus.

Matthew 6:22-24 – “‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.’”

That may seem intense to you, but that is normal Christianity.  The normal intensity of following Jesus.

The Embrace of Christ

Mark 10:15-16 – “‘Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”

All three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) have a narrative of Jesus receiving little children and teaching his disciples an object lesson about the humble, needy spirit that a disciple of Christ must have. Only in Mark do we have the extra information that Jesus actually took these little children into his arms. It is a sweetness in the text that is worth enjoying.

The idea of being taken into the arms of Jesus has been distorted in the sentimentalism and romanticism of our day, but we also need to be careful not to react to error by missing the gentle and loving demeanor of a Savior who truly does love his children. It’s worth contemplating and enjoying, but it doesn’t mean that we should make it sound like a teenage love song. Instead, we should consider what Jesus is doing here as he teaches his disciples about the children he embraces.

The disciples have just rebuked people for bringing their children to Jesus for blessing. Jesus then corrects his disciples and welcomes the children because they are a reminder to them that the Kingdom of Heaven requires a childlike faith. Without childlike faith, we will not enter his Kingdom. Then Mark makes a point that Jesus not only received the little children but took them into his arms. This is yet another picture of how God receives us into the Kingdom of Heaven when we come to Christ with childlike faith: he receives us with open arms. He receives us with tenderness and love and a desire to bless us. Christ embraces the childlike disciple with a heart of love that is beyond our limited comprehension.

Whether or not these little children brought to Jesus grew up to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is unknown, but in this world, the Second in the Trinity took children into his arms with a welcome embrace to show us his love for his disciples and how we must embrace all those who come to Christ with childlike faith. It tells us not only how tenderly Christ loves his church but how we are called to emulate that love. It’s a profound experience to take a moment and wonder at the mystery that the God of the universe would so tenderly embrace those who were once his enemies just as he did these children. It’s his desire that none of them are hindered in coming to him.

So, while some wrongly romanticize these statements, lets marvel at them. God’s love is not just in the transcendent realm beyond our contact or understanding. God’s love to us in Christ has actually been displayed in real time and space in that he embraced little children without hinderance to show us what he did through the cross. So let us trust him and need him without reservation as the little children we need to be. Let’s both enjoy and revere the embrace that holds us securely for all eternity.

Looking for Biblical Loopholes to Escape Your Marriage?

Mat 5:31-32 –"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

In 2011, Author Jessica Hagy wrote an article in Forbes Magazine called, “Loopholing: Seeing the options between the rules.” In her opening paragraph she wrote, “Loopholes—they keep lawyers employed, the rich out of jail, and all of us on our toes. An omitted clause that negates the spirit of the law. A line that can be read in a dozen different and correct ways. An action that is not explicitly forbidden, and is thus allowed. These are opportunities—and not just for the sneaky or the nefarious.”  The author of this article believes that loopholes are just part of the landscape. Loopholes make big things possible, and that the bigger your goals are, the fewer guidelines you will have to contend with. Basically, looking for loopholes makes your life easier and gives you the competitive advantage. Is this what Christians do when marriage becomes too difficult? Do we look for the loophole to opt out and find something better? Are the statements from Jesus in Matthew 5 and 19 the loopholes to our problem?

If there are two authentic believers in Christ who are joined in marriage, they have a much greater calling than how the world perceives marriage. Really, it’s only Christians who even understand marriage. It is only those in Christ who can even live out a calling for marriage we see in the Scriptures.  See how Paul describes marriage in Eph 5:31-33 – "‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Paul refers back to Genesis 2 just like Jesus does and says that this whole statement is a picture of Christ and his church. So every Christian marriage is a picture of the gospel.

If the gospel is reflected in marriage, how should we live that out when one spouse grievously sins against the other? We should remember that every Christian has not just sinned against another sinful human being, even if it is your husband or wife. We have all sinned against the God of the universe in all his perfection and power. Every sin against God is as bad as the other and is the very reason we needed Jesus to redeem us with his blood. He bought us and paid the bride price with a sacrifice that meant enduring the eternal wrath of God on our behalf. Through his sacrifice for our sins, the church became his bride. And if you have truly come to Christ in repentance and faith, his sacrifice for you means that he is holding you as his bride despite all your flaws, and he is never letting you go even though you are as bad as an adulterer. The biblical definition of marriage depicts the repentance and trust we have in Christ and God’s grace and eternal love for us.  

If we are living out that gospel, do we, even in the face of sin, need a loophole when serious problems and dissatisfactions arise?

Should we not be more concerned with maintaining God’s intent for marriage as we read it in Genesis 1 and 2, echoed by Jesus in Matthew 19, and reiterated by Paul in Ephesians 5? Christians are called to be a picture of Jesus no matter how grievous the sin might be. We are to remember the permanency of our vows before the Author of marriage, “until death do we part.” And we must remind ourselves of the words that Jesus says after his statement about divorce in Matthew 5, “Let your Yes be Yes.”

There is no doubt that marriage can be tough, and enduring difficulty is greater for some than others. Even so, we need to remind ourselves that as marriage portrays Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins, we are able to do the same. Our focus therefore is not on the exception or the escape clause, but on fighting our hardest for the permanency of that which is God’s creation and to do so in the redemptive power of Christ. Loopholes are not our answer, Jesus is.

Mercy Trumps Rights

I know that the moment I use the word, “rights,” I am confronting a lot of people with a subject that is very dear to their hearts. Many Christians believe that having human rights comes from being created in the image of God. That may well be true. Even acknowledging this, we would also need to acknowledge that sinning against our Creator altered what is rightfully ours. In sin, our true entitlement is hell. Our relief comes through the cross where God’s judgment has been placed on Jesus so that we may experience his pure and infinite mercy. The God who would be right to bring eternal judgment on all of humanity has extended a glorious bountiful mercy to his children through the cross of Christ.

In Matthew 18:21-35 the parable of the unforgiving servant gives us a good glimpse of this very thing. After a servant had accumulated an insurmountable debt to his master, the master took pity on him and forgave him the debt. This servant then finds a fellow servant who owes him a smaller debt that may be paid off over time.  His fellow servant cannot immediately pay the debt he owes and so he is thrown into jail. The servant who was given mercy from the master “refused (to show mercy to his fellow servant) and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.” He did what he was legally allowed to do to his fellow servant who could not pay him what he was owed, but he was more concerned with his own rights than showing his fellow servant the same mercy (albeit to a much lesser extent) than he had received.

The parable of the unforgiving servant tells us something about God’s attitude toward our perceived rights. God favors mercy. It is very evident that God is more concerned with us seeking to forgive and showing mercy than to stand for that which we believe is rightfully ours. This certainly does not sit well with many of us, but we cannot help but see that this is also the very heart of God.

When Paul talks about Jesus’ humility in his work of salvation, he states, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8). We should not skip over the words “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Jesus gave up that which was rightfully his in order to save us from what was rightfully ours – eternal judgment. The very act of God’s mercy is displayed in him giving up his rightful place in order than we might know his forgiveness through the cross. God’s glory is displayed through his selfless love for those who sinned against him.

If we are to be like our Heavenly Father, our nature must be less about holding on to our rights and more about selflessly giving mercy and grace to those who would sin against us. To the unforgiving servant, the violation of his rights trumped mercy. Is that our story? In Christ it should never be.  In Christ, mercy trumps rights. In Christ, mercy is our very character and mercy is what others should see most.

We Who Have Despised God Need Easter

 As we come to the Easter remembrance this weekend, we are celebrating our hope in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We remember the gospel, we remember that we have a risen Lord, and hopefully we contemplate our great need of salvation because of sin. If there is one thing that has become more apparent to me as I contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus, it’s that the wonder of the cross abounds in the reality of my sin. I don’t think that Paul was overstating the truth when he said that where “sin increased, grace abounded all the more” – Romans 5:20. In one sense, we need sin to increase so that we might see the wonder of grace. By no means am I (or Paul) saying that we should actually sin more to see more grace: “May it never be (Romans 6:1).” What Paul is saying is that as we become more aware of the quantity and intensity of our violations of God’s holiness, we see the greater magnitude of his grace in salvation. We realize that we are not just a law breaker who’s getting ready to pay their fine. We are God despisers who have rejected the very glory and perfection of our Creator. We deserve the punishment that only traitors against the all-powerful God can receive.

Perhaps you don’t see that you are or have ever been a God despiser. Perhaps even when you recollect your life before knowing Christ, you can’t remember ever having an actual hatred for God or his word. Well, in the recorded history of the biblical narrative, God has given us an example that should make us all sit up and take notice and re-evaluate our assessment of ourselves.

In 1 Samuel 13:14, God is rejecting Saul as king in order to replace him with David. The first description given about David is that he is a man after God’s own heart. Surely every Christian on planet earth would give our right arm to be described this way by God. David may have killed a giant, but David himself was a giant in the landscape of biblical history as the pointer toward the Messiah and King yet to come. When we hear the words that describe David, we expect so much. We expect holiness and purity and goodness. We expect all that pleases the heart of God. We never expect God to say that David despised God and his word.

2 Samuel 11-12 is the account of David having the biggest brain explosion of his tenure as king. In the first verses of 2 Samuel 11 we read that David was at home while his men were out at war. He saw Bathsheba bathing, he saw that she was very beautiful, he sent for her, and he took her, and she became pregnant. While we cry at the atrocity of so many people who cover up their sexual indiscretion through abortion, David covered his up by murdering Bathsheba’s husband as he tactically placed him in harm’s way in battle. In 1 Samuel 11:27 we read, “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” The fact that these acts displease God is not a surprise to us even though we are surprised by David doing them in the first place. This is far from a heart that is supposed to be after God’s own heart.

It took the prophet Nathan to cleverly reveal to David the reality of his own heart. As this reality hit David square between the eyes, Nathan asked, “Why have you despised the word of the Lord to do evil in his sight?” – 2 Samuel 12:9. When did David despise God’s word and thus despise God? I put it to you that David despised God when he saw what he should not see and continued to look. David despised God when he meditated on beauty that was never meant to be beautiful for him. David despised God when he acted toward his temptation, and he despised God when he gave himself over to sin and then grievously sinned to cover it up. In every step of moving in sin and toward greater sin, the greatest sin in every step was despising God’s word to do it.

If you know what happened next, you know that David immediately called upon the mercy and grace of God and experienced and knew that grace in all of its infinite glory. In one simple phrase, the Lord put away David’s sin (1 Samuel 12:13). Surely God’s grace is even more shocking to us than David’s grievous sin. Psalm 51 is in our Bibles today as a public testimony of repentance from a king who was supposed to have a heart for God but instead despised God and then experienced the boundless mercy of our God who puts away sin through repentance and faith in him.

I know we probably don’t like the word “despise.” Compared to David, maybe you think your sins are more like misdemeanors. What we need to see is that David was despising God’s word by disobeying it and coveting something that wasn’t his. Adam and Eve did the same thing as they looked at a piece of fruit in the Garden of Eden.

If you want to be serious about the magnitude of the cross this Easter, my suggestion is that you be honest about how you have despised God and what Jesus has done to bring you and David reconciliation with God. Grace abounds when sin abounds, but so often our sin, at least in our own mind, does not abound like it should. Try using the word “despise” for yourself and then have a fresh look at Jesus. Be honest about your sin abounding so that Christ’s grace may abound even more. Go into Easter Friday with a sense of awe and relief. Go into Easter Sunday with a sense of eternal joy. Let’s truly worship our Risen King.

How Comprehensively Do You Forgive Others?

Do you ever have that lingering feeling of animosity toward someone you thought you had forgiven? Do you ever wonder if your expression of forgiveness is actually matching your behavior and attitude toward that person? How can you act out what you don’t feel? For too many of us there is a divide between expressing forgiveness and feeling it, and it is only exacerbated when we remind ourselves of past wrongs committed against us. Our actions and words tend to match those reminders rather than the forgiveness we want to express. Perhaps you even find yourself watching intently for an opportunity to pounce on the next wrong so you can tally up the list of sins against you. Ultimately, it’s possible to speak words of forgiveness that have little to no effect, and that makes forgiveness one of the most difficult virtues to possess.

Perhaps you have heard the statement, “I’ll forgive, but I’ll never forget.” In one sense, unless we have a physical problem with our memories, it’s impossible to forget. In another sense, not remembering a wrong is an intentional part of forgiving a debt. This is the way God himself forgives. Obviously, God knows everything, past, present, and future. While God never forgets any single occurrence in all of time, he tells us that he does not remember the sin he’s forgiven. When chastising Israel for their lack of repentance, God says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” – Isaiah 43:25. Israel needs to be reminded that they are ignoring the only true and living God who can comprehensively forgive them of their sin. This same sentiment is echoed through the author of Hebrews. “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:12.

It’s not that God forgets any past detail, it’s that he no longer holds it against us nor does he use it against us. In fact, in the mercy of God our whole relationship changes. We go from being objects of wrath to children. Through God’s forgiveness, found in and through Christ’s atoning work on the cross, our relationship changes from being categorized by judgment to being categorized by mercy.  Romans 9:22-23 – “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.” It has always been God’s eternal pleasure to forgive his elect and display the glory of his merciful heart.

When Peter asks Jesus about the nature and extent of forgiveness, Jesus answers by telling a parable. In the parable, Jesus describes a servant who owed his master an insurmountable debt. After begging for the master’s patience so that he might have time to repay him, the master absolves him of the debt, and Jesus uses this to represent the comprehensive nature of God’s forgiveness. The debt is forgiven, not partially, not mostly, but in full. When God forgives, all is forgiven. Matthew 18:27 – “And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.” When we read these words in context of Peter’s question, the reality is driven home like a stake through our hearts. Jesus is describing God’s forgiveness to Peter to show how Christians are to forgive others. In fact, the point of Jesus’ parable is that those who have been forgiven comprehensively are to forgive others comprehensively.

In Isaiah 59:2, we are told that our sin blocks us from God and creates separation. Without God’s forgiveness, sin is situated between us and God. But Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” When God forgives, he treats us as if our sins are situated in an infinitely opposite direction from us and God. This is comprehensive forgiveness. This is what God expects of us.

If you are still counting every transgression or harboring resentment after expressing forgiveness, you are not there yet. It’s time to stop remembering the sins you claim to have forgiven and start forgiving people like God has forgiven you. It’s time for you to be intensely intentional and forgive like God does…comprehensively!

Loving the Church Is an Act of Reverence

In Matthew 18, Jesus likens his disciples to vulnerable little children who are susceptible to the world’s temptations and who must live their lives in needy dependence upon him. Woven into the text are also explicit statements and constant indications about the heart of God for his church. Each of these statements place a weight of responsibility on our shoulders. They tell us that if God’s heart for every one of his little children is so intense, there is no room for us to treat any believer with indifference. Loving the church is an act of reverence, and reverence is a life of holy fear before the Lord. Acting in reverence before God is probably not our first thought when we are thinking about the church, but it is impossible to read through the verses in the first half of Matthew 18 and not be compelled by God’s heart for his children. While seeing God’s heart we hear loud and clear implications about how this must be reflected in our own attitudes toward his church.

Matthew 18:4 “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

-       Jesus tells us what God values. God does not value a church concerned with greatness; he values a humble neediness for him.

Matthew 18:5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…”

-       To welcome/receive/love another believer (depicted by a little child) is to actually welcome Christ himself.

Matthew 18:6 “…but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

-       If we are careless in the way we live and act toward the church, we are at risk of leading our own brothers and sisters into sin. We face the awesome judgment of God.

Matthew 18:7 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”

-       The whole world and any individual who through temptation hurts even one of God’s children will face his wrath.

Matthew 18:10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

-       If you treat any other believer with indifference, you are ignoring that God sends his angels from his very throne room to serve his church. You ignore the holy edicts of God in his utmost position of authority and glory.

Matthew 18:14 “So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

-       The heart of God is displayed in his very will to protect every single one of his children and bring them to his eternal glorious presence.

Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

-       In the context of pursuing a sinning brother or sister, when God’s children come together in rebuking sin or seeking his forgiveness, God is with them and answers them. In the restoration of a sinning child through the loving pursuit of the church, God will never refuse them who turn to him for restoration. This comes from the very throne of God in heaven.

If you have ever thought lightly about the church, you need to think again. God loves his children and expects his children to love each other according to his own heart for his sheep. The very fact that twice in this text we are reminded that this comes from heaven tells us that we must have a sincere reverence before God as we approach his church. What would happen if you reminded yourself of this before the next time you walked through the doors where your church family meets? What would happen if you reminded yourself about this before the next time you spoke about the church?

Fundamentalists Rarely Rejoice

Whenever I use the term, ‘fundamentalist,’ I need to remind myself that in the eyes of the world, that’s how many would describe me. I am a Christian who stands on the inerrant truth of the word of God. I am particularly concerned about the biblical doctrines that are essential for gospel coherency and hold them as fundamentals of the Christian faith. If someone wants to use this to call me a fundamentalist, then I am guilty as charged. I have, however, separated myself from the term partially on the basis that fundamentalism has become known for a harsh and critical spirit of judgmentalism and leadership on the basis of fear and intimidation. The fundamentalist mindset often tends to be an ultimatum, “align or leave,” and when such a culture is cultivated, outward conformity trumps real confession and repentance. Any true acknowledgement of sin and shame is simply too dangerous to divulge in the consequences of a critical, judgmental attitude. If the apostle Paul were to walk into a fundamentalist church, he would be robbed of his desire to rejoice.

Paul certainly had his fair share of difficult dialogue with the church in Corinth.  He wrote to rebuke them for their lack of concern about sin wreaking havoc on their church family. Even with the difficulty of confronting uneasy situations, Paul’s words clearly show that he was not the fundamentalist of his day.  2 Corinthians 2:1-4 – “For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” Where is Paul’s judgmental, critical spirit? Where is his partialism? It is nowhere to be seen.

What we see in Paul is a heart of affection that cries real tears of anguish out of love for his brothers and sisters who are hurting themselves in sin. Paul displays a care and love that acts for the benefit of the church, even when it’s difficult, and desires nothing more than to rejoice when those who are straying are convicted of their sin and restored to God and his people. Paul longs most of all to find joy in the restoration of a sinning saint. The very fact that this letter was read and preserved shows that there was indeed a humility in the Corinthian church leadership in heeding Paul’s words of anguish. While there were massive, heart breaking issues in the church in Corinth, it seems that it became a safe place for church members to be transparent because greater joy was found in their restoration. As I read both of Paul’s letters to Corinth, I can’t help but note that a church that had major problems turned out to be a safe haven to confess sin. I can’t help but wonder if some of this safety comes from a previous statement Paul had once made when he named a list of sins and expressed, “such were some of you.” (1 Cor 6:11).

In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus talks of wandering sheep in much the same way. Jesus says that there is greater rejoicing in the one wandering sheep that is found and returned than in the ninety-nine who did not stray. This rejoicing in the restoration of a saint is not just the heart of Paul, it’s the heart of God. It says that confession of sin and transparency of heart in the church is much more important than the appearance of toeing the line.

As a pastor I often think, “Is our church a safe place for people to confess sin, find help, and embrace the joy of restoration?” When someone reveals that they are in a dangerous position and wandering in the opposite direction of Christ, are we showing the pointed fingers of fundamentalism or a heart that longs to rejoice in restoration? Are we serious about sin to the extent that we are in desperate anguish for the brother or sister we sincerely love?

Why do fundamentalists rarely rejoice? Perhaps that's a question they need to ask themselves.  I would say, it’s good to teach and stand on holy dogma and truth, but if the first thought of your heart toward a sinning saint is critical judgmentalism, you may be missing your opportunity to rejoice. Unless you can run in loving anguish after the wandering saint, you will not know the rejoicing so prominently displayed by Paul and Jesus. Unless there is a safe environment for the saint to confess, you will rob each other of the joy of restoration.

God Never Makes Empty Threats

Hell might not be a palatable subject for our culture, but culture has never been the arbiter of truth. We have all heard the objections to the biblical concept of an eternal hell, and most often they are made in reference to the perceived character of God. If God is a good and loving God, why would he torment people forever? If God is loving and merciful, surely that love must win, and everyone eventually gets to heaven. The problem with these perceptions of God is that they are blindly selective of God’s attributes and greatly ignorant of the seriousness of human sin. The Bible clearly speaks of our God as eternal, immutable, righteous, jealous, wrathful, holy, and just. Put these attributes together and we understand that God is eternally unchanging in his judgment against evil perpetrated against his infinite holiness. If God’s mercy, love, and grace are eternal, then God’s righteous judgment and wrath are also eternal, and our relationship with God is based on one or the other depending on whether or not we are in Christ.

The objections to God’s eternal and righteous judgment are not just found in those who find the gospel reprehensible, but also many who claim to profess Christ. Some professing Christians have suggested many alternatives to an eternal hell in an attempt to make the love of God more palatable for themselves and others. The problem with this is that if you deny the eternality of hell, you end up having the same problem with heaven.

 In Matthew 19:16, Jesus is asked a very important question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” When Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor, the man went away sorrowful. If the temporal is more important to us than putting our faith in Jesus, what have we left but sorrow? In Christ, however, there is eternal reward. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29).

One chapter before, Jesus was talking to his disciples about the seriousness of sin. He said, “And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire”(Matthew 18:8-9). Notice that Jesus uses the word “eternal” in reference to hell. This is the same word used in Matthew 19 in reference to eternal life. It is the same word used in reference to the eternal God (Romans 16:26) and the eternal power and nature of God (Romans 1:20). It’s also the same word used in the verse every Christian loves to quote as we give witness to the gospel – John 3:16, a verse we quote because we want everyone who hears to know that through faith in Christ we have eternal life.

When God warns us to be serious about sin, he does so to emphasize the seriousness of sin’s punishment.  It’s not simply hell (as horrific a thought as even one single day in hell would be). It is eternal hell. It is as everlasting as eternal life. We can’t have one without the other. If hell is not eternal, then Matthew 18 is an empty threat. It would be as if God is saying, “Sin is serious, so don’t forsake Jesus to follow your sin because sin leads to an eternal hell – but – not really.” What we can know from Matthew 18 is that if hell is not eternal, then neither is heaven, and sin is not really that serious, and the gospel loses its relief. It’s no longer good news. It’s just news.

The reality is that whether you want to believe in eternal hell or not, the Scriptures give us no alternative. The good news of Jesus is not salvation from an empty threat, but salvation from the eternal judgment of the all-holy God of the universe. Our only hope is indeed to repent of sin and put our faith in Jesus Christ who paid the eternal price for our salvation when he died for our sins on the cross. He is our only hope, but he is also our eternal hope. God never makes empty threats, and therefore, God also never makes empty promises.  

The Devastation of Self-Reliance

In Matthew 18:1-4, Jesus brought out a little child before his disciples as an example of how they were to be as needy little children completely reliant on their Father. In our world, this type of posture is seen as a sign of weakness. The worldly attitude is to be the best you that you can be, to be rich or successful or famous or independent. According to the world, those who would value meekness and neediness allow others to step on them, and as a result they never achieve their true potential. Not only is the worldly pursuit of being a self-made success opposite to Christ-likeness, it is also the way of ultimate devastation. 

A great example of this is demonstrated through the first king of Israel, Saul.  Saul starts well and even portrays a significant level of humility. In 1 Samuel 9:21, Saul asks, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the least of the tribes of Israel?”  Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Saul’s station as king to become a source of self-reliant pride in his life.

Even though it was clearly God who set Saul on the throne and established him with a victory in battle, Saul started relying on his own agenda as king rather than relying on God. Saul rejected the absolute King and tried to make his own way without relying of God. As is often the case, this happens when the pressure starts mounting. As the Philistines were mustering to fight the Israelites with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore, the men of Israel were cowering in fear in caves and under rocks. It was at this time that Saul was awaiting Samuel the prophet to come and offer burnt offerings to God. Samuel had told Saul to wait for this at Gilgal so that he might be shown what to do (10:8). But Saul’s agenda did not fit with this. Even though he had been told to wait for Samuel for burnt offerings and instruction, Saul would wait no longer, so he took it upon himself to make the burnt offerings (13:8). Saul’s fear of the Philistines and lack of reliance on God brought him to an act of disobedience in an attempt to follow his own agenda.  In 1 Samuel 13:12, Saul says that he “forced himself” to do this.  His desire for victory over the Philistines trumped his need for God of the universe.

Throughout Saul’s life from this time on, we see a king who continues to ignore God’s will and pursue his own agenda. God gave Saul’s son, Jonathan, victory over the Philistines, but Saul attempts to have him for going against his wishes.  When God tells Saul to destroy every Amalekite and everything they owned, he disobeyed God and spared their king and livestock (15:7-9). Rather than acknowledging his own lack of disobedience, Saul set up a monument to himself as if to claim his own victory, agenda and kingdom (15:12). In response to this, God gave Samuel these words for Saul. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” In other words, following your own plan is the same as following your own god.  As a result of this, God completely rejected Saul as king over his people, and even more devastating is that the God of the universe grieved for this man.

This world constantly reveres self-made, self-reliant people, but God does not. In the end, to be rejected by God is the most devastating result any human can face. When we stop relying on God and start relying on our own strength, wisdom, and desires, we are effectively choosing a god of our own making. While people hold the high station of worldly greatness on a pedestal, Christians should aim for something much higher. We should aim for total reliance upon the One True King who holds all things in the palm of his hand. We should aim for complete neediness upon the substitutionary atonement made for us by our Savior. We should trust and hope, not in ourselves, but in Christ.

The Testimony Every American Christian Needs to Hear Right Now

This past Sunday at Hyde Park Baptist Church, we finished our sermon series titled, “Exiles.” As we considered what it really means to be exiles in our country and world, four of our congregation gave outstanding testimonies about what God had taught them and how God had changed them. One of those was from our sister, Mindy. This particular testimony is a wonderful example of what it means to have a biblical view of being an American citizen in uncertain days.

My Identity as a Kingdom Citizen Changes My Perspective on Exile Life

I have always been a very patriotic American citizen. I’m thankful for the pledges to the American flag and the Christian flag that I’ve said all my life, for songs of America and God’s grace on our nation, for my 9th grade Government & Economics teacher that inspired such enthusiasm in me that I would have willingly marched to war after class. I’m thankful for my family members who have served in our military in the past and those in my family serving currently. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to encourage Christian citizens to call our Senators/Representatives to speak up for truth and for the opportunities to work in the voting polls as an “election official”.

Early last year when the pandemic was no longer just an international problem, but also a U.S. problem, I remember feeling shocked and embarrassed to realize that in my heart, somehow that nationalism and patriotism had become intertwined with my faith. I’ve based some of my life security on the nation I live in and the safety I can expect here or the option to be rescued out of any international conflict because I am an American citizen. I saw the United States as the current Israel of God & had developed confidence in our nation. But I suddenly realized what national insecurity and an unraveling country felt like and had to realize that if I view the U.S. as the current Israel, then it’s easy to see the U.S. shaking and wonder if God is shaking.

So, all during 2020, in so many ways, God was asking me: where is your faith and trust placed? I had to stare these questions in the face. God began to teach me that while I want my vote to count, I’m never electing a spiritual leader to shepherd my heart. Instead I’m electing a person to lead a human government.

He taught me throughout Scripture God’s people have served as leaders in kingdoms- kingdoms that were not Godly and were not spiritually ok: Mordecai, Esther, and Nehemiah served in the Medes/Persian empire, Daniel -who we’ve been talking about in this series- served under several kings in Babylon and Persia, and Joseph served under the king of Egypt. All the prophets (including Jeremiah and Ezekiel in this sermon series), John the Baptist, and even Jesus ministered in the middle of countries and national leaders who were full of moral ruin.

Jesus said in John 18:36, “… ‘I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’ ”

So often we as believers say, This or that is going on and is so terrible, BUT GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. Of course that statement is true, but it can sound like doom and gloom with a positive reminder tacked on to the end. Why do I say this like there was a doubt that maybe He wasn’t in control or maybe had lost His grip? What does this show about how I view the Kingdom? Do I see God as just King in the past or just King in the future? Do I see Him as King right now?

I’ve been blown away over the last few months by the descriptions all throughout Psalms like Psalm 11:3-4 of Jesus as King established, comfortably seated and unruffled on His throne. He is not going to move and He is forever in charge.

We’ve learned in this sermon series about Daniel and that knowing and holding on to our identity helps us to stay true, engage with the world, and live in the reality of God’s faithfulness. Knowing our identity as Kingdom citizens changes our perspective on Exile Life and really pulls the fear out of exile life.

Hebrews 11 and 13 says that God’s people have always been “foreigners” and “nomads here on earth” and that “this world is not our home”. That’s exile language. Philippians 3:20 says that “… we are citizens of heaven…”- that city we were learning about in Ezekiel and Revelation last week- the “heavenly city” with “eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” as Hebrews 11 describes it. 

I haven’t gone from being a patriotic American to suddenly not caring about what is happening in my country. I haven’t painted everything cheery. But I don’t feel the scare factor of: things have never been this bad or will the church/God’s people survive?  If our country has to go into a time of punishment or if our whole country falls apart, God is not scrambling. God is the King of His unshakeable Kingdom and there is no need for me to worry. He is at work impacting our current reality to carry out His plans.  I’m a citizen of God’s Kingdom and my part is to obey Him. With an exile identity, I can experience joy even if/when the government is not a God-honoring government and when I don’t feel at home.

I feel like God has had me in the science lab and has been mixing so many things together to produce a reaction- an explosion in my worldview. God has set me free. He has given me comfort and peace amidst a pandemic, amidst an election, amidst travel and plan changes, an economic downturn, social upheaval, and even the death of some people I love.

If God has said we are more important to Him than birds or flowers, if He has promised to provide for us, if all our days are in His hands (Luke 12), if He is our Good Shepherd, if He is our King… “If [He] is all those things to [us], [we are] going to be ok.”

The Unhelpful Practice of "Israelizing" America

2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

So often verses like these are applied to America, and in doing so I believe we do a great disservice to our fellow citizens. When we view America the same way we view Old Covenant Israel, we think and act with a mindset that does not help our fellow citizens know the most urgent, life transforming solution to their greatest need.

2 Chronicles 7:14 clearly talks about God’s covenant people who have betrayed the covenant God made with them, and God responds by calling them back to the covenant relationship and its blessing through repentance and faith. In the Scriptures we see two examples of people in a covenant with God. First, we see the people of Israel, the Old Covenant. Through their rebellion they proved that there was no way for sinners to maintain their covenant with God. They needed a Covenant Keeper to save them. The New Covenant, the better covenant relationship with God in Scripture, is the everlasting relationship through faith in Christ and his completed work on the cross.

Often when people make comparative associations between America and Israel, they fail to realize that God never made a covenant with America, and to equate America with Israel is to treat America as God’s people without any concern for entry into the New Covenant through Christ alone.

In the Bible, Babylon is most associated with the nations of the world. God’s covenant people were under judgment and exiled to Babylon for 70 years. This historical reality seems to be a picture of how the New Testament church is seen in this world. In the Apostle Peter’s first letter, he writes to the church and explains that he is with “she who is in Babylon” (5:13). In Peter’s day Rome was the great nation that was comparatively associated with Babylon, so when Peter sent greetings from “she who is in Babylon,” he was sending greetings from the church (she) who was in Rome.

As you read First Peter, you find that Peter echoes the sentiments of the prophets of the Babylonian exile. He implores Christians to respect kings and governments, to honor unbelievers and contribute to their wellbeing, and to share with them the hope of Christ. Peter’s point is for us to live in Babylon and display a life that emanates Christ in the face of impending judgment for those who reject salvation. When Christians acknowledge Babylon for what it is, we truly live according to Christ’s great commission for the world. 

When we view America as Israel, we treat it as if it has a covenantal relationship with God, and when we suggest that a nation is God’s people without the work of the cross, we eradicate any hope of salvation and consign ourselves to constant frustration with unbelievers. Instead of having compassion for “Babylonians,” we feel only disdain for a country that should be something other than what it currently is. Instead of demonstrating God’s love, we condemn others and separate ourselves. We long for a moralized society rather than regenerate people, and there is a profound difference between the two.

Because I value the Babylon that I have been graciously allowed to live in, I refuse to compare America with the Old Covenant Israel. I love Americans too much to muddy our view of this country and rob people of the grace of Christ that people so desperately need. We live well in Babylon because Babylon is our mission ground. Our main message must always be a compassionate plea for Americans to come out of Babylon and become exiles with us. We want every new exile in Babylon to look forward to the ultimate homecoming when we will be exiles no more.

It's Time To Value the Church

When difficult times arrive, they can bring out the best and worst of us. This year the church has learned by experience that many of us approach turmoil in differing ways with differing convictions. Christians doing their best to honor the Lord and live according to what they believe to be obedient are finding themselves at odds with other Christians attempting to do exactly the same. It’s at this time that good pastors will point to Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 to help guide folks who, whether weak or strong, may be on either side of the conscience line. When it comes to matters of conscience (gray areas where we need to live by conviction), Romans 14:5-6 guides us to be fully convinced but to think the best of other brothers and sisters who are also doing their best to honor the Lord.  These passages are invaluable for the church in a time like this.

There is another thought that helps us to value our brothers and sisters in the church even when there are eternally inconsequential differences. We can remember that we are all part of one, great, eternal structure of beauty being built by God as his glorious eternal city. Many passages in the New Testament refer to the church as being built into a great temple of the Lord. The one that helps us to contemplate the glory of God’s completed work is in Revelation 21. In Revelation 21, the Apostle John receives a most glorious vision of the “wife of the Lamb.” (21:9). This vision is then described in terms of a great city structure. What do we notice?

1.     It’s beautiful: It should be seen as a shining spectacle of God’s beautiful glory. Revelation 21:10-11 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

2.     It’s inclusive: It should be celebrated because it includes every child of God either from the 12 tribes of Israel or those who have believed through the witness of the 12 Apostles. Revelation 21:12-14 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

3.     It’s huge: Measurements like 12,000 stadia may not be well known to us, but roughly 1400 miles is. God has built a big, glorious, eternal city. Revelation 21:15-17 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.

4.     It’s adorned: Like a bride for her wedding day, this city is adorned with the finest jewels. Revelation 21:18-21 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

5.     It will require no temple to worship our spectacular God in his spectacular glory. Revelation 21:22-25 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.

6.     It will be filled with all nations: Revelation 21:26  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

7.     It will be pure and holy: Revelation 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

If this is describing the wife of the Lamb, surely we can be reminded that every believer on every side of the conscience issues in this temporal world is described this way. Yes, for you and me both, it’s time to start valuing the church.

Take Notice of Biblical Déjà Vu

Sometimes, as long as we are familiar with the Scriptures, when we read the New Testament, we get a sense of “déjà vu.” It’s that faint sense of recollection that we have heard or seen something before.  The reason for this is because the New Testament authors, under the inspiration of the Divine Author of the entire Scriptures, are constantly recalling previous Scriptures to bring us God’s progressive revelation with a unified truth. The Scriptures have a ring of truth and unity and a supernatural sense that no other book on this planet shares.

Regardless of innumerable attestations of the Bible, the unity of the Scriptures is an internal attestation of God’s divine authorship. This is why we might read sections of the gospels or New Testament letters even where they are not making direct quotations of Old Testament texts and hear the ring of familiarity – even through a translated text.  

One of the most amazing aspects of this in the Scriptures is considered when we realize that each text individually has its own historical context. For example, when God delivered Israel from the hands of Egypt, God brought judgment upon Egypt through plagues.  The ten plagues of Egypt were a local judgment on a local people in a real time and place. While we read the narrative about the exodus on pages, God actually ordained and wrote a living narrative in real history.  God has sovereignty in his authorship that no other human author possesses. In delivering his people through judgment, God consistently reminds us in later texts of Scripture that this real historical event of the exodus in its local setting is a picture of something much greater on a grander scale. We see this most prominently in Christ who is the Son who came out of Egypt to deliver God’s children (Matthew 2:15). 

Again, at the time of the Babylonian exile, God delivers his people through judgment upon the great city as he returns his people to their land. When we read the Old Testament, we get the sense that even when God is chastising his own children for their sin, he will not allow those who hate him and his children to go unpunished.  God’s children will always have hope that God’s enemies will not win, and God will restore his children and bring them home.

When you and I read the New Testament, we are constantly shown that these repeated themes help us to know that the history we read is not disconnected from us in our time.  In Christ, we are God’s children and we don’t need to wonder what will happen to the enemies of God and his children in our current world. God continues to point us in the same direction as he pointed his children in Egypt and Babylon. He even uses the judgments upon Egypt and Babylon to remind us that one day his judgment will not just be with a local people in a local place, but it will be a universal application of God’s judgment upon the entire unbelieving world.

A great example of this “universalization” is found in Revelation 16.  In this amazing chapter, persecuted Christians can take great comfort in the fact that God will pour out his wrath on unrepentant idolators and persecutors of God’s children. The church in this world can know for sure that there will be vindication and God will bring retribution on all who are unwilling to humbly repent and trust Jesus. In Revelation 16 we read the account of bowls of wrath being poured out.  The wrath of God is described as plagues upon the world. There are frogs, darkness, waters turning to blood, hail, and even painful sores. It is impossible to read this chapter and not think of the exodus. This time in Revelation 16, there are not ten plagues but seven. This is because seven is a number of fullness and completion. We read that the judgment does not just come on one Pharaoh in one geographic location, but the scope is the whole world (vs. 2, 14..). At the end of these judgments there seems to be a very final sense of the completion of judgment upon the nations.  The seventh bowl is poured out and the whole earth quakes, nations fall, and we are told to remember that Babylon was once the epitome of pride and arrogance in the world and it has been finally destroyed (vs. 17-20).

These images of Egypt and mention of Babylon should be of extreme importance and comfort to Christians. This is the case because we have a historical foundation of real events in world history. We know that God actually did bring these judgments on real places in real times. If God is referring us back to history, it is as if he is saying, “If I have been faithful in judgment for the delivery of my people in the past in real places and times, you can be absolutely sure that I will be faithful in judgment of this whole world and the delivery of my people on the final day.” In Revelation 16 God says this (through John) in spectacular apocalyptic language and imagery to impress upon us that his sovereign judgment and salvation is on a scale beyond everything we can imagine in our little place in this world.

Because of Christ’s victory in the cross, Christians persevere in this world looking forward to the final day of salvation in the final consummation of all things. It may be disturbing to us to think of the scope of judgment that is yet to come to unbelievers, but I hope that it also motivates us to be evermore concerned about the proclamation of the gospel and ultimately concerned about the vindication of God’s holy name in all of his creation. We persevere and live toward that day because in Christ, God’s victory is also ours and history gives us certainty because God has already proven himself faithful.

So take notice of Biblical déjà vu, it’s often happening for very good reason!

Was King Nebuchadnezzar Saved?

As long as I can remember growing up in the church, I have often heard speculation about whether or not we will see King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in heaven. This is certainly not a biblical contention that Christian brothers and sisters should lose unity over. Even so, as we consider this question it does raise a point about what should be most important to Christians as we engage with our culture. There is a big difference between acknowledgment of God in law, and regeneration in Christ.

To understand the context of this question we must understand the context of the book of Daniel. Daniel wrote as a man who was taken from his home in Israel to live as an exile in Babylon.  God had judged Israel for their disobedience and idolatry and had used Babylon to conquer his people, take them into exile and eventually destroy the city and temple of Jerusalem. The whole survival of the people of God was down to exiles living out 70 years in Babylon to turn their hearts back to God and return to the land in repentance.

In Daniel 1, we read that God was preserving his people from the very beginning by giving Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of those Babylonians over him. We see this favor working out by the end of chapter 2 as Daniel was given a position of esteem and audience with the king. God was moving in the heart of a Babylonian king to preserve the remnant of his children in exile.

We see God at work in this powerful king when we see Nebuchadnezzar’s responses to the work of God’s power before him. In Chapter 2, when God had revealed a mystery of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar says, “Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” (2:47). Note that Nebuchadnezzar does not claim Daniel’s God as his own.

As we move into chapter 3, we come to the famous account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. After God supernaturally delivers these three young men from Nebuchadnezzar’s rage, the king again declares, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants….(3:28). Note again that Nebuchadnezzar does not claim Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God as his own. Further to this, Nebuchadnezzar then makes a decree that nobody from any nation, people or tongue under his empire shall say anything against the God of Israel. He even declares that no other god could rescue in this way.

Often when we see favorable decrees or laws like this, we may be tempted to identify the law maker as one of God’s own people. The moment we jump to that conclusion we have missed one of the most important factors in all of Scripture.  The only way to forgiveness and reconciliation with God is through repentance of sin and faith in God’s provision of a substitutionary sacrifice for the appeasement of his wrath – Jesus Christ. In Jesus words to Nicodemus in John 3, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Nowhere in the text of Daniel do we see any explicit account of repentance and faith in Nebuchadnezzar’s life, though some believe that Daniel 4 implies it. The point that Christians should note is that while we might rejoice when God sovereignly gives us civil laws in favor toward us, we should never assume the word “Christian” without hearing an account of regeneration and seeing fruit of it. A king making an edict or law in some essence of favor or compatibility with God’s truth, does not make him a true believer. Laws do not equal faith. Morality and favorable attitudes about God does not equal salvation.

As we finally move into Daniel 4, we find the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling when God made him like an animal for 7 years of his life. Most of this chapter is the first person account of Nebuchadnezzar as he retells the whole experience from his own perspective.  Nebuchadnezzar recounts that at the end of this experience, he praised and honored God for his everlasting power and dominion. At the same time, he also talks of the glory of his own kingdom and “my majesty and splendor returned to me.” (4:36). It is very difficult to put all of his words together and discern if they are the words of a repentant heart or a king forced to his knees.  The bigger problem in Nebuchadnezzar’s words is that at the beginning of chapter 4 as he is recounting his past experience, he also makes the statement that “he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods” had interpreted his dream (4:8). In the present recounting of his  past, he still speaks in terms of polytheistic idolatry.

While there is an acknowledgement of the greatness of God from Nebuchadnezzar’s lips, readers of Daniel are left with the absence, in any of these instances, of the king of Babylon proclaiming the God of Israel as his own in repentance and faith. We are reminded in Philippians 2:10-11 that one day…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

While any believer can be thankful to live in a time when the favor of God bends the heart of a king to give favorable laws, we should always live with the greatest concern that those same kings, and in fact everyone, will one day bow before God.  They will either bow under terrifying judgment or joyful grace. The gospel today is the only answer for all.  

What a Great Week to Pray Through John 17

Yes, it’s been a tough week.  We’ve all seen the news and we all know the tensions. It’s also totally reasonable that those who love Jesus might wonder how we as the church live and respond and pray in these troublesome times. Well, I suggest that we just sit down and open up John 17 and pray the prayer that our risen Lord has already prayed.

Jesus prayed not only for his immediate disciples living in a difficult world, but also for us.  “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”(vs. 20).  If you are in Christ, that’s you. Surely if Jesus prayed something for the entire church of every age in every situation, what he prayed must surely govern our central priority and purpose in every age and every situation. As we see this, we also find it is the most encouraging hope we can imagine as we pray.  Let’s have a small peak at a selection of verses. Grab your bible and get ready to pray as Christ prays.

Vs. 1-8 These verses are a glorious introduction of Jesus ‘prayer.  The glory of the Father is revealed in the Son being lifted up and giving the Son all those he has elected unto eternal life. The appeal from the Son to the Father is on the basis of his perfect obedience and true glorification of God in all of his work on earth.  It is a work that will be seen in the glorification of Jesus to his eternal pre-incarnate glory. It is a glory that is revealed to us in Jesus and it is a glory that is beyond this world. Praise God.

Vs. 9 The priority of Jesus’ prayer is for whoever is his elect in the world, not for the world itself.

Vs. 11 While we are still in this world, Jesus prays that the Father keeps us in his name and secures our unity with each other with that of the unity in the Trinity.

Vs. 13 That joy in our life will be found in being kept in Christ.

Vs. 14-15 We are not of the world because Jesus is not of the world. Jesus’ prayer in this is not that we are taken out of the world, but that we are kept from the evil one as we live in a world that hates us.

Vs. 16-17 We are not of the world as Jesus is not of the world, and therefore we are to be set apart for God’s truth. 

Vs. 18 Jesus prays for us as we are sent into the world with the same mission in which he was sent – to save people from their sins.

Vs. 19 Jesus prays that our whole life is sanctified (set apart) by his truth.

Vs. 20-21 Jesus prays that our unity is so reflective of the Trinity that it is an evangelistic proof for the world to believe in him.

And Just read vs.23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

It sounds very much to me that Jesus’ priority and prayer for us is that we would be more concerned about living in this world but not being of this world while we have a mission to this world to take people out of this world.  The way we are to fulfill this mission in this world is to have a unity within the church that reflects that we are not of this world and that unity is based on the truth that can only come from God.

How do you think you are right now aligned to this glorious prayer and purpose for the church?

If you prayed through your concerns about our current situations in this world using Jesus’ prayer, how would it sound?  What do you think God’s answer will be if you pray it? This is a prayer that is prayed within the perfection of the Godhead. When we consider this, we cannot come to any other conclusion other than this is a prayer of Trinitarian unity. We can know for sure that at the end of chapter 17, the Father says, “Yes.”

Two Words Every Christian Needs Right Now

Keep going!

We live in interesting times. The worldly temptations around us are continually taunting us from every billboard, internet and TV screen, and also in the ever more brazen materialism and sensuality of our culture. On top of that is an increasing antagonism from our culture toward the narrow view of morality and truth in Christianity that seems to be so foreign to the relativity of our day. As Christians are continually more isolated in this country (and the world), we need to hear words to help us respond.

Some people want to hear the words that say, “stand up and fight.” Some others want to hear the false promises that say, “it’s ok, God won’t let you go through bad times. It’ll all be over soon.” Pastors are consistently tempted to preach what some people in their congregation may most want to hear. As a pastor in 2020, I have heard from many pastors who have felt this pressure. What are the best words for us to hear as we face the continual and rising antagonism against our precious Savior and Lord? I propose that the best words are always the biblical ones and for me to sum them up most succinctly would be to simply say, “Keep going!”

The book of Hebrews seems to have this message as its flavor in various ways. It seems that there is a continual need for the author of Hebrews to give arguments for his audience not to give in as they live as exiles in this world. The author of Hebrews therefore makes his case by reminding us that Jesus is supreme above everything else in this world and above every possible realm and sphere and power. He is the fulfillment of all that God has been preparing us for through the types and shadows of the Old Testament. From this base, he uses specific arguments to encourage the church to persevere in a difficult world with the hope of entering their rest. In other more simplified words, the author of Hebrews is saying, “Keep going!”

We all need encouragement to keep persevering in our faith because it is not only the world itself that can bring us down, but our own reactions to the world can distract us from living in the faith that God has brought us into. We can so easily take our eyes of the prize of Christ and fight battles that are not in line with us living toward our rest and helping others know that same hope. Our fight is to stay in line with loving and pleasing God as our prize, but it seems that so many Christians are easily distracted by fighting to win the world, rather than fighting to win Christ. The book of Hebrews keeps us in check.

One great example of this is found in Hebrews 3:14-19. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." 16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”

These verses are in the form of a warning.  If you want to enter the promised land (your rest, or heaven) you need to persevere in the faith and not let go of your need for Jesus all the way until you get there.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that a tragedy happened to a generation of Israelites from Egypt who lived in unbelief and did not enter into the promised land.  This warning is used to help us see that the Christian who truly has saving faith is one that perseveres to the end and doesn’t give up faith in Christ no matter what. This doesn’t mean that one can lose their salvation, but it is a consistent message in Hebrews that tells us that saving faith is persevering faith.  The message of Hebrews therefore is to say that no matter what the hardship is that we face in this world, keep your eyes on Christ, live in constant need of him for redemption, and never give up. “Keep going.”

When we are confronted by voices around us telling us to stand up and fight or that things are going to be alright, the author of Hebrews has something different to say.  He says, you have something so much better than this world, so live consistently in and for Jesus and never give up living in and for him no matter the cost. “Keep going.”

A Christmas Note to My Church Family

Dear Church Family,

Once again Christmas is upon us and who would have possibly anticipated the events between last Christmas and this one. I want to say what a privilege it has been to walk through this time with you and I am so looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior together.

As I have been preparing the Christmas messages, I have realized that this year there is one word that has jumped out to me as I have been meditating on the incarnation of Christ. That word is “certainty.” The Son of God, second in the Trinity, and Creator of the universe determined before the foundation of the world to come into this world to save us from sin. We see this as the thrust and promise of the entire bible.

Our Savior being born is something that we understand from Genesis 3 in the hope of a seed/offspring who will crush the serpent’s head. This seed will be the seed of a human woman and will be a human solution to our human problem. Our Savior being born is foreshadowed in countless pictures in the narrative of Old Testament history. Just like Abraham will be given an offspring through the miraculous working of God, so too Jesus would be that offspring of Abraham to receive and bring promise to the nations. Just as Moses would survive a plot to kill Hebrew boys to become the deliverer of Israel, Jesus survived the violent orders of Herod to become the greater Prophet of deliverance. Just as Isaiah promised a son to be born as a sign of God saving Judah against its enemies, so too our Savior was called Jesus to save his people from their sin. The Old Testament constantly points us to the hope of the Messiah in direct prophecies, allusions, types and shadows and in the general thrust and hope of the redemptive thread. The consistency of the expectation of Jesus in many different books written by different authors over hundreds of years is one of the testimonies of the Divine inspiration of Scripture.

In the New Testament, we read that all of the expectation of Jesus, his kingdom, and his entire work of atonement was determined before the foundation of the world. Paull tells us over and over in Ephesians 1 that Christ was determined as Savior of the world according to the eternal counsel of God, the purpose of his will, before the foundation of the world, and all to the praise of his glory. In Philippians, Paul also tells us that Christ came into this world from being in a position of owning all the glory of the throne of God. The pre-ordained will of God in Jesus coming into this world to save us from sin to bring glory to God could not possibly be thwarted, even by Satan himself. It is in the counsel of God’s will to glorify himself through the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of man.

Brothers and sisters, please, I am pleading with you. Hang all your hope on being in this Savior. This Christmas, please realize that our infinite blessing resides in being part of God’s plan to glorify himself through his Son. He has done that by taking undeserving sinners, and through the cross changing their relationship from one based on wrath to one based on grace and mercy and love. We get to participate in God’s glory through faith in Christ alone. That glory is beyond imagination and will have an infinite glorious outworking in our life for all eternity in ways we can only imagine. All of this because Jesus was born and it was never going to happen any other way. 

If 2020 has done anything for us, I plead with you that it should have increased our anticipation of loving Christ and living with him in his glorious presence for all eternity.  When you look at the various representations of this babe in a manger this Christmas, please remind yourself that 2000 years ago, the certainty of God’s promise to save us was sealed in the incarnation of the Son of God who came into this world to die for sin and rise as Lord and King. Remind yourself, that the expectation of history has come.  The expectation and anticipation of salvation has arrived. He was born as one of us, lived with us, died for us, and rose for us to share in his victory over sin and death. His birth says “ABSOLUTELY, GOD SAVES!” With all the uncertainty in this world, Christmas shouts to us, “CERTAINTY!”

Merry Christmas.

Steve.