When Respecting Love Becomes a Weapon

If you are a Christian committed to the tenets of the historical Christian faith found in the authority of God’s word, you sat up and took notice this week when the Respect for Marriage Act was passed through the Senate. You may have heard the rhetoric from governmental leaders applauding the legislation that secures a national recognition of same sex marriage in the vitriol of, “love is love.” The concern for many Christians is that national legislation continues to close in on the livelihoods and convictions of believers as we seek to live peaceful lives in our communities. To many Christians, this is just one more action from a worldly authority that invokes a feeling of threat not previously felt by our generation to this degree.

As tensions rise and Christians wonder about what the future may hold regarding our participation in society, we are compelled to consider our response. We might pray in our homes and go to churches, but we also engage in the community and face dilemmas in our businesses and organizations that come as direct challenges to our convictions as legislators tell us to respect a definition of marriage that God does not permit. We have heard our leaders proclaim that “love is love” in contradiction to the ultimate truth that God is love. God alone defines love and the reflection of his love in marriage. In the face of the yet unrealized repercussions of this legislation, we are not without biblical guidance as we live in a world that has always sought to tighten its grip around the neck of the church.

The Scriptures give so much wisdom on how we might rightly respond to the feeling of being hemmed in by opposition. The Psalms are so often our point of contact for considering the despairing feelings of opposition. In Psalm 17, David does not give us the exact situation of oppression against him, but he stands before the Lord declaring that it is not of his doing. He, at least in the situation before him, is innocent before God as enemies enclose upon him. Psalm 17:1-4 A Prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! 3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. 4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. David’s desire is to honor the Lord in the face of opposition. He prays that he might hold fast and not slip away from honoring God.

In the middle of David’s Psalm is the most stunning statement that should give every believer the greatest comfort of all. Psalm 17:6-7 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. David’s request of God is that he might show his steadfast love for David in a wondrous way.  David wants to be reminded of who God is as a God of love. When David talks of God’s steadfast love, he knows what he means.  This is the love of God that is eternal and covenantal. It is the love of God that has chosen his elect from before the foundation of the world. It is the love of God that holds his elect for all eternity in his hands. It is the most secure love that any child of God can remember. Whatever is happening and changing around us and whatever threat this brings upon us now or in the future, the child of God is secure in the steadfast love of God proven in God’s faithfulness to his covenant with his people.

For us as New Covenant believers, we have the privilege of looking back at God’s steadfast love in faithfulness to his covenant.  We have the historical truth that Jesus has kept a covenant we could never keep and now God’s eternal covenant with his people is kept and secure in His Son. Even if the entire array of legislative change goes against God’s people in this world, God’s steadfast love is not less secure for us. Even if we face the greatest of earthly consequences for our inability to agree with worldly demands, the grasp of God’s steadfast love on us will never let us go and keep us to the final day. Even more, God’s steadfast love for us who believe in the Lord Jesus will keep us secure in the sacrifice of Christ when we stand before his holiness on judgment day.

David does go on in this Psalm to say that God will be the bringer of justice and he can rely on God doing all that is right and good with every enemy before him. As David acknowledges this truth, he also finishes the Psalm with the greatest of encouragement. Psalm 17:15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. David will one day rise from the sleep of death and be completely transformed to the likeness of his Saving God. We should sit up and notice this. What is most important to David is not his enemies being defeated, but himself being transformed. This should say something to us. The highest concern and priority for every believer is our delight in God and our ultimate transformation to his perfection. We don’t want that just for us, but we want that for every individual that might be presently against us. That should leave us comforted in the face of legislative tension.

Surely, we see the false idea of respect for a false definition of love from our legislators. David would tell us that when the world says, “love is love,” our steadfast security is in the fact that God is love.  God’s steadfast love means that we have no need to fight against and win against the world. God has already done that for us in the cross and he is the great judge who will bring full justice to all who reject His Son. We are compelled to hold on to his love and proclaim its greatest evidence in the cross even to those who oppose us most.

When ‘respecting love’ becomes a weapon, God’s steadfast love is our defense.

Blue Thanksgiving

Perhaps you have the sounds of Elvis singing “Blue Christmas” in your head. Holidays seem especially hard for people in the pain and agony of suffering and loss. We may understand the description of a blue Christmas as we spend time without the ones we love or attempt to celebrate through illness and pain. It seems a much greater stretch to suggest that we can have a blue thanksgiving. Who wants to give thanks for being blue? With the right view of God and his redemptive plan, it is possible for believers to give thanks even through the “bluest” of times.

In Psalm 42, the Sons of Korah take us through the consideration of a downcast soul, but it is a certain type of downcast soul. The soul described in Psalm 42 is one that pants and thirsts for God and longs to stand before him.

Psalm 42:1-2 To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

The simple fact of this Psalm, and one that brings light to the entire Psalm, is that this is written from the perspective of a faithful believer. Christians may have a downcast soul, but they have an ultimate longing beyond this world. They have an ultimate focus of God and desire to be with him. This means that Christians also have a particular view of God.  They thirst for God like a deer thirsts for water. God is not a sadistic ogre who has brought pain and suffering into our lives for his own pleasure of our torment.  He is ultimate goodness who operates his sovereign will even through the fallen nature of a sin corrupted humanity living in a corrupted world. His goodness in both his being and his works are beyond the capacity of our understanding. We know he is ultimately good beyond all that we see and experience in this world and we long to be with him and to be like him. When shall we come and appear before God?

It is with this presupposition of a good God that we long to be with, that we can ask the question, “Why are you downcast O my soul?”  As you read through Psalm 42 you realize that the downcast soul of a believer knows the truth beyond their suffering. They know that God is our Savior. They know that he is worthy of praise. They know that the suffering of waves crashing over them is not out of his control. They know that their enemies of this world will not have final victory (not even the enemy of death). They know that the temporal suffering of this world will be short lived compared to the hope of eternal praise. They know that God’s love has not left them and that songs of God’s goodness make their way into their prayers. All these truths are held amid the blue and downcast soul of a believer. It is the mourning believer who can say, “Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

Why not hear it all for yourself and read the whole Psalm.

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. 8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

In your blue thanksgiving, remember, there is still reason to give thanks. There is hope in God for those who thirst to be with him.

Fragile Christians Need Warnings, Not Verdicts

I want to put to you that Christians, especially fragile Christians, need warnings rather than our verdicts. While receiving a warning may seem difficult, imagine being a Christian who has difficulty with a besetting sin and only hearing that you may not be a Christian at all. I’m not saying that we should ignore the Scriptures that tell us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5). I am saying that part of our examination may be considering whether we are willing to heed warnings that help us to persevere in the faith. Doubting the reality of our salvation need not be our first conclusion if we respond to a biblical warning with repentance.

The Structure of Biblical Warnings.

In his book, “The Race Set Before Us,” Dr Tom Schreiner has given us a wonderfully comprehensive look at biblical warnings.  Biblical warnings often come with a three-part structure. 1. The warning has a function. 2. The warning has a future consequence. 3. The outcome is conditional. 

Take for example Hebrews 2:1-4 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Function: The author of Hebrews wants himself and all his readers to pay closer attention to the glorious truth of the supremacy of Christ in the gospel and never depart from it.

Consequence: The future consequence is God’s judgment.

Condition: We will not escape God’s judgment IF we neglect such a great salvation.

The author is not saying that one can lose their salvation, nor is the author saying that he is only talking to non-Christians. In fact, he says that “WE must pay closer attention.” He includes himself in the warning. He is also not being insincere about the condition and consequence.  He is simply giving a real warning in the expectation that Christians will take every warning and promise of God seriously and live by them. When a true believer hears a biblical warning, a true believer heeds a biblical warning. It is like a road sign warning that a bridge is out.  The expectation of that sign is that every driver will turn around and not proceed in danger.

Prominent Pastor, John MacArthur, has suggested that the warning passages are to be read retrospectively.  What he means by this is that warnings are given to people who profess faith in Jesus but are actually hypocrites. If the content of the warning describes you, it therefore means you are probably not in the faith. It’s true that this may end up being the case but reading the warnings this way completely ignores that the text itself does have a conditional element to it and that the condition applies to a future (not current) state.

Reading warnings as they are written helps a believer to understand that there is a reality to persevering in the faith.  If we don’t persevere in the faith, we would be justified in saying that we were never in the faith to begin with. When a believer hears a biblical warning, they will heed the biblical warning knowing that perseverance in the faith means ongoing repentance. Christians avoid the consequences of biblical warnings while non-Christians ignore them.

Now put yourself in the shoes of someone with a besetting sin. What is your first statement to them? Is it to tell them that they might not be a Christian at all and send them away wondering hopelessly if they are in the faith? Or…. Is it to show them the biblical warnings concerning sin and to call them to the repentance they need to continue persevering in the faith? Surely, we can hope the best that they will indeed respond to the warnings and promises of Scripture. Surely, we can walk beside them patiently reminding them of these truths.

It is true that when one refuses a biblical warning, they may have to face that they are not showing the persevering quality of the Christian faith. That’s when Matthew 18 church discipline guides the whole process. When, however, a biblical warning produces repentance of sin, perseverance in Christ, and assurance of faith, it guides fragile believers into spiritual maturity.

Fragile Christians need warnings, not verdicts.

How Precious is The Faith?

1 Timothy 6:20-21. O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

How do you finish a letter? Perhaps you have written to your sweetheart and ended with a sentence about how much you love her/him. Perhaps you have written to a friend and ended your letter with a sincere sentiment of desire for their well-being. Perhaps you have written a formal letter to a business associate or company representative with gratitude for them taking the time to consider your request. Paul ends his letter to Timothy with a serious call to action for the safe-keeping of the most precious gift we could ever have in this world – The Faith.

The most likely explanation of the deposit entrusted to Timothy is found in the multiple times in his letter that Paul has used the term, The Faith. When we see this term in the Scriptures it seems to be considered as everything that points to, is witness to, explains, and describes the gospel and the doctrines and life that come from it. Timothy is to be a minister of The Faith in Ephesus. Once we understand the central importance of Christ and his gospel and all that surrounds it and is essential to it, we get a sense of the precious gift it truly is. The central element of The Faith is Christ himself and his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God.  It is the one true saving faith. There is nothing else of higher importance or consequence in this world. All of this points to the immense value of what Timothy is charged to guard as a minister of the gospel. It is of priceless value.

It’s one thing to describe The Faith as priceless and entirely another to understand and live out The Faith in consistency to its value. To help us all, perhaps a few questions will help you to meditate on it further.

• How does it carry weight?

• Does it take ruling precedence in your life?

• Is it your benchmark for what is truly priceless?

• Does it overrule your desires and ambitions and beliefs and philosophies?

• Is it greater than anything else in this world or anyone else in this world?

• Are you willing to deny self for it?

• Are you willing to lose friends for it?

• Are you willing to be persecuted for it?

How precious is The Faith?

God's Promises and God's Character

We are finite beings who live in a material world and have physical needs. We often talk about our three basic needs as food, clothing, and shelter. When we talk about things that are tangible, we often associate this with what we can touch and see and physically use. For Christians who are not given over to a naturalistic view of the world, we know that we are not merely physical bodies directed by chemical reactions. We are body and soul and live before an eternal Creator God. We know that while physical death comes to us all, an eternity awaits us. We know the because of our rebellion in sin against God, we all deserve God’s eternal punishment. We know the only way of being made right with God is through the sacrificial payment he has made for us through The Son in his death on the cross and resurrection to life. I say all of this because for the Christian, our understanding of what is tangible must have an eternal and spiritual reality and not just a temporal physical reality.

As we live in this world tempting us to give ourselves over to the godless desires of our heart, we live with perseverance and hope as we hold on to the eternal promises of God. Some Christians struggle with seeing God’s promise for our future as a tangible reality that we can hold on to in the present. I propose that the tangible reality of God’s future promises is secured in the eternal reality of his immutable character.

Why are God’s future promises to his children a tangible present reality for us to hold?

1.    God is eternal.

1 Timothy 1:17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

We can be confident about the future reality of God’s promises, because God is in control of all time, past, present, and future. All time is his domain.

2.    God is all-powerful.

Job 42:2 "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

When God has purposed to do something, there is no power able to stop it.  God is not able to be overcome in any realm or sphere. He is the omnipotent Lord.

3.    God is faithful.

2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- for he cannot deny himself.

God never goes back on his word. He is trustworthy in all he says he will do and give.

4.    God is good.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

God has perfectly reliable ethics. He is good. We can take comfort in the fact that his perfect character is behind his perfect promises.

5.    God is true.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

There is only one true God who is true in all he does. There is no-one we can trust more.

6.    God is love.

1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

God has promised us because he loves us, and his love is infinite and eternal. We can hold his promises because he wants us to enjoy them as we enjoy him who loves us.

7.    God is immutable.

Malachi 3:6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

When God has promised us eternal life, eternal life is what we shall have. There is no chance of him changing in his character or his will. We are secure in the unchanging hands of God.

There is nothing more tangible than a promise of God for his people – not even what you can see and feel in this world. This world will decay. This world will end. God is eternally and infinitely beyond the temporal existence of this world. When you know and trust who God is, you can hold onto the eternal, tangible realities of his promises.

A Meditation on Contentment

Every now and then when I am in need of a deeper and richer consideration of a text or concept in Scripture, I have been helped by a set of meditation questions developed by 17th century puritan minister, Bishop Joseph Hall. I have found that when I go through those questions, it often converts a dry understanding into a deeper and more meaningful reality. It was in January 2014 as I was reading 1 Timothy 6:6 that I found myself reaching for a deeper consideration of the concept of contentment. This week I am simply sharing my journal entry with you.  This is an entry I have reread to myself many times over the years.

1Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Contentment:

Define it.

Being contented in Christ is what happens when our joy is found in him.  God is holy and my transformation in Christ is not merely enough, it is everything. Being satisfied in Christ is the greatest riches. It is the gain in my life that keeps me seeking in full satisfaction at every moment along the way. Contentment is an everlasting all satisfying joy and peace.

What are its divisions or parts.

Contentment is firstly composed of an emptiness of want. It is what it is not – unsatisfied. It is a restfulness in the now. It neither needs nor wants because it has all it needs now and not yet. It is a present reality, but it is a future reality. If we want in the future, it is because we have no true contentment now. You can’t say that you’re content now but later in life experience a dissatisfied want as if you do not have enough; such questions your current contentment. We must say that true contentment resides continuously. Contentment must also contain joy. How can we be content in that which brings misery. You cannot be content with misery but you can be content while experiencing a time of misery. Contentment has an understanding or sight of completion. “Not quite” doesn’t cut it because contentment needs to be inseparably linked to something ultimate. Contentment is directed by heart focus – our greatest desire. Its value is in the satisfaction found in its Object. If the Object of the desire is sub perfect, there will be no achievement of true contentment – at least not eternally.

What is its cause and what does it cause?

Contentment then can only be caused by my desire being totally upon that which is wholly perfect. How can I possibly think to find contentment in anything less than that which is the very definition of joy and satisfaction and is infinitely self-satisfying. It is caused by sharing in the ultimate reality of glorious perfection. Contentment then causes the glorious praise of the Object in which it finds its true satisfaction.

What is its place or use?

When that Perfect is found, our joy is complete.  It keeps us from the errors of the world. For example, our contentment cannot be found in the nothingness of Atheism or the nirvana of Buddhism. Neither non-existence nor the hazy nothingness of nirvana is an explanation of contentment.  Both are only ideas for the end of discontentment. Contentment is conscious. It’s a true joy and peace and rest and it is an ultimate conscious glory. The consideration of contentment then produces the entire realm of gratitude because the Object of desire is its ultimate source. In this object, everything that has been promised is given in perfection. A true understanding of contentment shows us that it cannot be found in the world or the philosophies of man. It is therefore used to fight against the wants of the world. It must come from beyond the sun and indeed from beyond the realm of an imperfect universe.

       What are its qualities?

Contentment has the qualities that everyone wants – joy, love, comfort, peace, holiness, glory, satisfaction, ownership, the need of nothing, the possession of everything, a clear conscience, forgiveness and the eradication of sin and condemnation and ultimate judgment. It is consciously joyful and satisfied without anxiety in the future. This is possible only for me when I pursue Christ and when he is my everything. It is in Him alone.

       What is contrary or opposite?

Everything that has been marred by sin and cannot be a source of complete eternal redemption cannot be a source of true contentment. Popularity, money, things, people lifestyle, food, fun, worldly pursuits, career, family, church, nature, and any identity outside of Christ. They are all sub-perfect and capable of being corrupted by sin. No eternal satisfaction is found in any of them.

       What is it similar to?

Contentment really has no comparison. It has reached its target. To be content in living in this world which is sub-perfect is only possible if all our faith and hope is beyond it. That which is already complete can only be found in the restoration work of Jesus who has already done it and is forever King over it. Often we use the word contentment for menial situations. We can be content with completing a job well done. This may bring a small picture of contentment, but it is not the great ultimate contentment that is incomparable.

       What are its titles?

Contentment can be known by fulness and completion and an eternal incorruptible state of glory. In theology, its best title would be found in the doctrine of eschatology because contentment is found in the completed work of Christ and certain hope of a glorious and eternal consummation.

       What are the Scriptural testimonies?

Jesus saying, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Stephen joyfully looking to his Lord while the Jews were stoning him.

Paul explaining that he has it regardless of his worldly provisions being in plenty or need.

Peter answering Jesus to feed his sheep regardless of that fact that it would mean his death.

The list of Martyrs in Hebrews 11 and every Christian martyr since.

The Apostle John exiled for the sake of Christ.

The widow who gives away her last coin.

Every man, woman and child who forsakes all for the sake of Christ.  

Every Christian who reminds themselves daily that there is better than this world.

Christ Centered Slaves

1Timothy 6:1-2 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

Many people read verses like this in the bible and are tempted to respond with accusation as though the bible commends slavery and even the type of abhorrent slavery typified in the American slave trade during the 17th to 19th centuries. Before we talk about the thrust of these verses, we should make just a few statements about slavery in the bible.

1.    Slavery was never a part of the original plan of Creation.  It is a result of sin.

2.    Sin created all the circumstances to make slavery a reality in the world. Those circumstances range from finding a solution for poverty, retribution for sins against another human, to the consequences of war and the horror of human hatred.

3.    The bible clearly condemns man stealing as sinful.

4.    The Old Testament law gives instructions to regulate a practice in Israel that protects both the slave and master.  It includes the repayment of debt and both the way of freedom and the ability to stay under a master’s yoke should it be the individual’s wish.

5.    The Scriptures do not place humans in the category of mere possessions.

6.    Slavery was commonplace in the Roman empire and governed by Roman law. More than 30% of people were slaves.

7.    In many instances it was impossible to tell a slave from a master and sometimes slaves were also masters with high standing and positions of significant responsibility.

8.    While the Apostle Paul encourages slaves to respect and work well for masters, he also encourages slaves to rightly work toward freedom. (1 Corinthians 7:21).

9.    The worst kind of slavery described in the bible is the bondage to sin that every single human experiences outside of knowing Christ.

To read more about the accusations against the bible when it comes to slavery (and sexism), I recommend Dr Jim Hamilton’s article - LINK HERE.

Back to the verses at hand.

In his instructions to Timothy as he pastors the church in Ephesus, Paul makes a note for Timothy to provide pastoral guidance to those in his church who are slaves.  He notes two situations.  There are slaves with non-believing masters and slaves with believing masters. In either category, Paul highlights what is most important for a believer who is a slave.  It is also the most important category for any believer in any circumstance in which we find ourselves. In any and every circumstance we are to live according to how we shine the beauty and glory of Christ and represent his name.

To those with non-believing masters.

Slaves with non-believing masters should always understand that their identity is not as a slave to an earthly master.  That is their circumstance, but not their identity. All Christians find their identity in Christ and in fact, we are slaves to Christ first and foremost. Paul wants the Christians in Ephesus who happen to be under a yoke of slavery to use their current circumstance of life to promote the name of Christ and gain opportunity for the gospel. Paul says to treat their masters with honor for the sake of the name of God and that the teaching of God (the gospel of Christ) might not be reviled.

For many of us today, we can attribute this to our own places of work where we are contracted for work to the benefit of our employers. Reading Paul’s statements should give us a heart-felt desire to be the best employee our employers have. We seek to show them the respect and honor their position warrants. We go the extra mile. We pray for them. We are careful to complete our tasks with skill and diligence. We are pleased to work for their success, and we rejoice when they achieve it. Paul is saying that worldly bosses should be stepping over each other for the opportunity to employ Christians because they are the best employees of all. Christians work in a way that leaves a good taste of the name of Christ and they make for themselves an opportunity for gospel witness both in action and words. If you want a great example of this, read the book of Daniel.

To those with believing masters

There also seems to be a situation in Ephesus where some Christians had taken advantage of having a believing master.  Perhaps if their master had come to Christ, they thought that there was no longer a need to work as a witness. Even more so, perhaps they felt a sense of entitlement from their brother in Christ when it came to them having greater privilege than others. Why should they take orders from a fellow believer? Paul corrects this thinking by his normal instruction about the church family. When it comes to the fellowship of the family of Christ, we are always under more, not less, obligation to fervently serve one another. This doesn’t mean that Paul would not want to see the Christian master free his slaves or treat them with extra love as brothers and sisters in Christ. He certainly instructs Philemon to do this with Onesimus. In 1 Timothy, Paul is instructing Timothy to pastorally guide Christian slaves who are in his church. It could be that in becoming a believer in Christ that these people had acted opposite to the way they should. Every single one of us knows how that can sometimes be the case in our own circumstances of employment. Some of us need to repent and work on the basis of the grace of Christ that compels us to diligence for the sake of his name.

Conclusion:

In whatever circumstance we find ourselves, the most important instruction for every Christian is that our lives are first and foremost Christ-centered and not self-centered. Our desire in work is not what we want most out of it, but how Christ is most glorified in it. That seems to be good advice for every slave of Christ. We are Christ-centered slaves.

The Church Cares Better Than the World

In his letter to a young pastor, Timothy, Paul instructed him on the care of widows. At one point Paul makes a strong statement that a Christian who does not care for their own household (in the context of looking after widows) is worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). In other words, a Christian who would not provide and care for a widow in their own home would not even be caring to the same standard that normally applies in the world.

All through the Scriptures there is a strong case for God’s people to care for the most vulnerable among us. To not care for the widows is to show a discarding of God’s value for human life. I say it is a discarding of God’s value for human life because many people in the world would certainly suggest they do value human life.  The unfortunate dilemma is that the basis by which human life is valued varies compared to the human you are talking to.

The Christian is not left with a philosophical dilemma as to how best to value the life of another human. The Christian has revealed truth from the Creator of the universe that gives us the ultimate standard of human valuation. In Genesis 1:26-28 we read explicit statements about humanity being created in the image of God. The reason every single human being from fertilization to the grave is valued equally and with dignity is because life is a gift from God, and it is given that we might reflect his glorious image throughout the world.

Outside of biblical revelation, human valuation is based on to philosophical subjectivism. Do we value humans on the basis of their development in the womb? Do we value humans on the basis of whether or not a parent even wants them? Do we value humans on the basis of their ethnicity or culture? What about class, position, mental faculties, physical capabilities, age, health, or contribution to or drain on society? Is human life valued on the basis of the experience of pain or suffering? If we are to answer yes to any one of these categories, we are providing a subjective valuation system for human life that devalues one set of humans over another. The Christian must stand upon the biblical truth that life is a gift from God and there is not a situation in which a human life can be valued outside of an understanding of being created in the image of God. The highest possible value placed on human life in the Scriptures is shown explicitly in God’s statement to Noah in Genesis 9:5:  And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. To take the life of another human is the highest possible consequence.

In considering this in the light of Paul’s statement to Timothy, I couldn’t help but see a glaring difference in the way that the church must care better than the world when it comes to the elderly, sick, and widows – those who no longer have a capacity to contribute to society and need help and support in their aging, sickness, and suffering. No matter what stage of life or suffering a person is going through, a Christian is never willing to consider another human being as a non-person. Personhood is only found in being a living, breathing human created in the image of God. In the life of the church, unlike the world, euthanasia will never be an option. If anyone in the church allows for it as an option, they sin against God and disregard his value for human beings.

Not only does the Christian understand human value in terms of a dismissal of euthanasia, but we also care because of God’s value for humans. We don’t give less care for those who don’t have capacity to know any better. We don’t care less because the one being cared for has limited or no ability to give anything in return. We don’t care less because we know death is just around the corner. We care greater than the world all the time because we refuse to have a subjective valuation system for human life.

We know that people suffer greatly in aging and sickness. We all may face this one day. We know that due to human sin, suffering is a reality in this sin cursed world.  We know that death is the last enemy to be defeated.  The Christian also knows that God uses suffering in our life to point our hearts to him and prepare us in anticipation of standing before him. For the Christian brothers and sisters of a sufferer, our comfort and care for our loved ones is an extension of the hands of Christ as they are guided toward their final day. It is our time to point their hearts to the soothing balm of preparing to meet the King of Kings.

When Paul tells Timothy that any person who does not provide for their own household (the widows/needy in their own household) is worse than an unbeliever, his statement embodies the knowledge that a Christian should have a value for human life far beyond the world’s value. That value should be visible in the way we love. We are not worse than unbelievers. We are significantly enlightened to provide greater care than they can ever know.  If the church is truly being the church, the church always cares greater than the world.

The Practical Nature of Godliness

1Timothy 4:8 For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

In comparison to the limited physical benefit of bodily training, Paul makes a bold claim about godliness.  It is of value in every way for the present life and the life to come. If we really did believe this in practice about godliness, I would suggest that Christians all over the world would know the blessing of life at a vastly elevated level. Unfortunately, many have often relegated godliness to the realm of religiosity and outward shows of piety. Paul, however, has a vastly different understanding of godliness and claims that it is intensely practical. How could he possibly mean otherwise if he is saying that value of godliness is its promise of value for every way of this present life?

The statement Paul is making is in the context of him talking about the way the church lives out the truth of God in this world. Paul had just previously said that he had written the whole letter to Timothy so that he may know how one (any single Christian) ought to live in the world as a member of the church.  He had emphasized and repeated that, in Christ, the church has the truth of God to know how to live in this world to God’s glory. The pinnacle of our life is seen in the confession of Christ in 1 Timothy 3:16 where Paul tells Timothy that Jesus is the mystery of godliness. I believe what Paul is saying is that if you want to know the glory and character of God as shown in human life, look at Jesus. If you want to know the hope and practical reality of godliness, look at Jesus.

So why is this so intensely practical? Well, because a life of godliness is a life that is lived in both the knowledge of who God is and the application of his character in the reflection of him in our own life. The promise being made by Paul is that in whatever you face in this world, godliness is the answer. Really?

1.    In our suffering, godliness is the answer. While we live in a groaning world that brings the weight of suffering in many ways, we look to who our God is. Every human deserves suffering and yet our God is one who came into this world in a perfectly obedient life to suffer on our behalf. While we may not understand our suffering moment by moment, we understand the mystery of godliness in Christ as our hope remains set on a greater glory. We trust that God brings all things for his greater glory. We understand more of the infinite suffering he went through for us as Jesus took on God’s wrath on our behalf. We understand that through suffering came mercy and grace. These are truths that give Christians hope amid suffering. We live through suffering in light of them.

2.    In our sorrow, godliness is the answer. When the world seeks to define our problems by way of labels of disease and disorder, worldly medications and therapies can only promise temporal symptomatic relief (even if they work and don’t create even greater issues). The Christian can assess our own hearts in the light of God’s truth and holiness. We can know a God who both provides hope beyond this world and becomes our greatest source of satisfaction in this one. When we understand God, we understand that there is nothing lacking in him when he is our greatest desire. The application of that truth in our life puts the realities of our sorrows in the light of God’s greater eternal purpose for us. Because of godliness, we can look up in our sorrow.

3.    In our sin, godliness is the answer. When this world counsels us to ignore guilt and live according to your own desire, we suffer in the consequences that our sin inevitably brings. When we understand something of the holy character of God, we see our sinful flesh for what it is. We also see that life in this world is deeper and richer lived in the light of all that God has for us in Christ. We understand deeper and richer relationships, gratitude, and the joy that only comes through a knowledge of grace. Godliness in the face of our sin compels repentance to a reconciled life with God who gives his abundant love to all who call on him.

Godliness is the application of the truth and character of God in our life that can only come through union with Christ. Godliness is the answer for every aspect of human life because it is the only answer that impacts our life now and also has eternal promise. This world seeks answers for our temporal existence, but godliness keeps us holding on to a much greater eternal answer. Through godliness, the things of this world grow strangely dim.

Do you believe that godliness is more than just a religious principle or outward piety? I hope you know it to be true that godliness is intensely practical for our life now and even not yet.

When Holiness Is Not Holiness

Colossians 2:20-23 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- 21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22 (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

In more than one of Paul’s letters, he found it necessary to deal with the problem of asceticism in the church. Asceticism is an ideology that holds to denying yourself from any sort of indulgence. Those living the ascetic lifestyle were the ultimate killjoys in life. Paul saw this type of life as an impotent attempt to deal with the lusts of the flesh. An extreme focus on self-denial does not transform us from fleshly desire but it can make you pridefully focused on outward expressions of false piety.

Paul’s point for the Colossians was that their own attempts for holiness could only be superficial. Generally, the purpose of asceticism is a joyful and enlightened life.  The problem with asceticism is that an extreme dedication to denial ends up robbing of joy, not giving it. While those in an ascetic lifestyle do see the bankruptcy and damage of an undisciplined life of licentiousness, they cause their own harm in the opposite direction. With either end of the scale, the heart is bound and enslaved in sin.

Paul wanted the church in Colossae to know that true joy and contentment can only be found in and through Christ. In Christ, we neither live in slavery to the flesh or in the hard bondage of denial. We live in the enjoyment of God who opens our eyes and shows us that all can be enjoyed when his glory is the purpose by which we enjoy it. He shows us how to enjoy life without making our own sinful flesh the end goal. We neither seek the impossible task of redeeming our flesh or feeding it. Our Goal is to live in this world and enjoy all that God has given us in a way that pleases and enjoys him. While there is nothing we can do (or not do) that can redeem our flesh and transform our heart, Jesus has done it all. Because of the crucifixion of Christ, our fleshy pursuit is crucified with him, and we are also raised with him in new life. It’s not a life of abstinence, it’s a life of gratitude, love, contentment, and joy. We can enjoy God’s good gifts in life because our greatest desire is to enjoy the Giver.

When your holiness is only depicted by your denial of God’s gifts, it’s not holiness, it’s putrid self-righteousness. When your righteousness is found in Christ alone, his holiness can be on display in our enjoyment of him and all his bountiful goodness.

Word Ministry Is Confident Ministry

In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul tells Timothy that the church of the living God is the pillar and buttress of truth. That is one of the boldest statements about the church in the bible. It tells us that the transcendent God of the bible is the immanent God of his church. It tells us that the church of God upholds and ministers the truth of God.  The church, as a pillar and buttress of truth, has a ministry of the word.

When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he had something similar to say. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Paul was about to tell Corinth some pointed truth.  His ministry was the ministry of the word, and he was passionate for them to resist following the ideas of men. He wanted this church to uphold, defend and preach God’s word, primarily, the crucified Christ. It is in the power of the word of Christ, that God draws, illuminates, regenerates, justifies, and sanctifies his church. This is then what Paul says in his second chapter to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13 “But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-- 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

Through the impartation of words, God’s word and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Spirit is present and working according to his good and sovereign will. The word being imparted comes through the church standing on the truth of the Scriptures and proclaiming it to each other and the world. The transcendent power of God directs his church with his word as his means of grace.

Whenever you hear this statement that the church is the pillar and buttress of truth, it should give you confidence. No matter what opposing philosophy stands before us from the world, when the church relentlessly stands on the word of God, we uphold and minister a truth of transcendent power. We have a responsibility to handle it correctly and preach it boldly.

 In the church, word ministry is confident ministry.  

God is Good

This week our church, Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati, move into our newly renovated building. In reality, we move into our renovation in progress, but we will move with joy and excitement for what God has in store for us. As we move into our new building and new neighborhood it is a great time to think about our focus from here on in. Many things will stay the same.  We will continue to exalt Christ and proclaim his name. We will continue to make much of the gospel and plead for people to know Jesus.  We will continue to be a church committed to all that honors our Lord as we show his love and unity within our body. We will continue stand strong on truth without compromising grace and vice versa. We will seek to point each other to the application of God’s word in our life and the sufficiency of the Scriptures for helping the hurting. We will seek to gather together to celebrate the ordinances, and to pray, preach, and fellowship. We will protect it all through a God ordained structure of partnership through sacrificial leadership and humble submission.

We could go on with so many wonderful realities about what we hope for our church to be and continue doing when we move into our new building.  Before we do that, we should just take time to acknowledge that this has all happened within the providence of a good and gracious God. Before stepping into our new building on Sunday, let’s prepare our hearts by acknowledging that God is good.

Psalm 119:68 You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.

This is such a beautiful thought as we consider gathering this Sunday. We will come again around the word of God.  We hope to hear eternal truth that transforms our lives, but the reason we can so readily meet with confidence in the Scriptures is because we first have confidence in God who gave his truth to us.  The Scriptures are good because God is good, and because God is good, all his works are good. What more can we say but, Teach me your statutes.

Before we move into a new building this Sunday, meditate on the goodness of God.  Meditate on his works because they are good. Consider the works of God in creation and in human history. Consider the works of God with his covenant people. Consider his work of redemption ordained before the foundation of the world. Consider the work of his self-revelation through his incarnation and in the inspiration of his word. Consider his work of a new creation that we are yet to behold. Consider it all. He is good and does good. Don’t you want to learn from him?

When we come on Sunday, please come in anticipation. Let the first Sunday in our new church building be one of anticipation to worship and hear from the good God of the universe as we all come around the wonder of his word and celebrate the glory of his Son.

God is good. Anticipate his good truth. Anticipate his grace. Anticipate his goodness.

The Importance of Church Polity

In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul instructs these two men about elders and deacons. Paul is concerned for there to be a structure in the church, formally applied, in which the church can be properly cared for and managed. As I was thinking through the calling and qualifications of elders and then the qualifications for the office of deacons, I was yet again convicted by the necessity of formally knowing and understanding the entire church.

We should take note of many Scriptures that require the entire congregation to be responsible for essential matters in the life of the church. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for not taking responsibility for the grievous sin in their midst. The church ought to be very serious about holiness. When a serious sin is overlooked, it affects the entire church. Paul then says to Corinth, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  We ought to take this verse very seriously. If the church is to protect holiness among the body of Christ, we must not be frivolous about knowing who we are and how we as a whole congregation counts who is in and who is not.

In matters of church discipline, the church is the final ground to dismiss an unrepentant sinner from among them (Matthew 18). In 2 Corinthians 2:6, Paul talks about a discipline within the church that has already taken place and he talks of it being brought about by the “majority.”  For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough. The seriousness here is seen that church discipline can only happen in a church that is fully aware and formally knows who is in to clearly show who is out.

As we think of doctrine, Paul instructs Timothy that it is the entire church that is given responsibility for being the pillar and buttress of truth. 1Timothy 3:15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Surely if the responsibility is the hands of the church to uphold doctrine, the church must be serious about knowing that it is in the hands of those we know who truly believe biblical and gospel doctrine.

These are just a few examples of why the church must be serious about formally knowing who we are in the responsibility that Christ has given us.  In this responsibility, Christ has also given elders to shepherd and teach and guide and be an example in leading in the responsibilities of the whole church. He has given deacons to take care of the management of ministry as the church lives to please Christ and reach the world.

There are many who see little importance in the need for a formal identification of the church in membership. It seems to me that as elders lead, deacons manage, and the whole church takes responsibility as a final accountability, it would be negligent for us not to treat the identification of the body of Christ with anything other than utmost care. When elders are to be formally known to the church for a partnership designed by God in leadership and submission, how is that supposed to work without a formal acknowledgement of the body being led?

When we read in Hebrews 13:17 that the church is to let its elders rule with joy, it encourages me to make a plea to those in our body who attend and know Jesus but have not become members.  Please allow our elders to take the leadership of our church family seriously and joyfully by helping us formally protect those who we must know and care for and serve. Please help us joyfully lead us all in the huge responsibility we all have.

A way of doing that is by taking your membership in the church as seriously as those who are called to the offices of elders and deacons. In other words, if you are not yet, please let us formalize your membership.  

To Read Like Amy Carmichael

For the last 20 years of her life, missionary Amy Carmichael was basically immobile. She spent much time in her room reading and writing, and that work produced encouragements for millions around the world.

Amy had spent 50 years in ministry, especially to women and children in poverty and slavery. She had maintained a consistent focus on the gospel of Christ. She had great desire to see many come to know eternal hope that only comes through repentance of sin and faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Her undying stance on the gospel and the truth of God’s word was unwavering.

There was a time in her ministry when her work was under threat of being undermined by people who did not hold to the inspiration and authority of Scripture. It was a time when Amy had to increase her commitment to truth and to be aware of the commitment to truth in others. Whenever the gospel is affected, the stakes couldn’t be higher. It was at this time that Amy would find out more about the people who were sent to help her. One of the questions she would ask them was, “Besides the bible, which three or four books have helped you most?”

Amy knew the importance of influence. The works that influenced people most would highlight the value they placed on the integrity of truth in their ministry. Their best reading would tell her something about how they might influence others. Her own discipline of reading was geared toward her own edification and strengthening in her ministry.  It was said of Amy that, even while she did read some fiction, she had little time for it.  She was a lady who desired to plumb the depths of truth as she hoped to stand strong in truth and know and serve her Lord more.

As I read some of these comments about Amy Carmichael, I found myself wondering how I might encourage both men and ladies in our own church with materials that profoundly edify and strengthen their own ministries to their families and others. Obviously, nothing ever replaces the Scripture for the infallible truth we all need. I do however think that if Amy Carmichael was with us today, she would say there is an enormous difference between an edifying reading schedule and a mind numbing one.

Amy would ask people what they were reading to find out how committed to the truth of Christ they really are. It was a good question. By highlighting this, I’m not saying that fiction is in any way harmful (I suppose it depends on the fiction). Nor am I saying that a reading schedule must be filled with the writings of puritans. However, I do think there is a general question in Amy’s example for all of us. If you were sitting in front of Amy Carmichael today and she asked you, “What besides the bible are you reading?”, how might you answer her question?

An Open Letter to Ladies in Our Church

Dear Ladies of Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati,

Thank you.

As a pastor I could fear preaching through the final verses in 1 Timothy 2, but instead, I am full of joy and gratitude.

1Timothy 2:9-15 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness--with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing--if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Last week we approached the subject of outward adornment. I felt no pressure. It was already proven to me that our ladies don’t resist modesty and they are neither intent on making more rules than God. Paul proposes that the measuring grid for the appearance and demeanor of a lady is a heart of godliness. To preach this knowing that our ladies would embrace the concept with enthusiasm was a blessing to me that many pastors sadly may not enjoy. To witness a response of encouragement in our ladies was indeed a testimony of your godliness in embracing God’s truth. Without a single objection, it seems to me you desire to live with a heart for God and not yourselves. Your response has strengthened and edified me and the other men in our church. Thank you for being a godly witness to us and for showing us a desire for God’s glory despite the competing sentiments of our culture.

This week I am equally confident that the ladies in our church will embrace God’s design for men and women in the church with the same enthusiasm and joy to glorify God. I love being a part of a church family that carefully navigates the waters of rejecting both a licentious culture and a legalist reaction in the church. Abrasive fundamentalism as a movement is dead to us and yet we can still see the sinfulness of worldliness and live with a view to please our King according to his order and design for us. To witness your biblical balance is a joy in my heart.

We know we are not perfect. We all feel the pull of Genesis 3. We know that men can so often gravitate toward an inclination to rule. We know that ladies can incline to ascendancy. We feel the pull of self, and without Christ it would drive our very lives. We know that the responsibility for men (husbands and leaders in our church) is to serve rather than subjugate and protect and cherish rather than oppress. We need your prayer and help for us to resist Genesis 3 temptations to dominate rather than edify you as our sisters. We pray for you that your desire would also be directed by Christ rather than the instinctive consequence of the fall.

Thank you for making it a pleasure to preach a passage that other pastors dread. You are a gift of God’s sweetness to our church. You love and serve us well.

Your grateful Pastor,

Steve.

Our Demeanor in Corporate Worship

I often challenge people that the main purpose for the gathering of the church is truly not so that we can worship God.  The Apostle Paul consistently calls us to gather for edification. However, the main purpose for Christians in all that we do is the worship of God and when we come to gather, we do so corporately in worship and as worshippers. As worshippers gather, what we bring with us into a corporate gathering will impact the worship of others.  Worship is not a secondary issue of music style or liturgical order; it is a primary essential issue of the heart. Our demeanor in worship matters.

Most people agree that one of the most beautiful accounts of Jesus in the gospels is John’s recounting of Jesus with the woman at the well. By God’s grace we in the church get to listen in on a stunning conversation where Jesus shows this lady her own worship problem and allows her to pose a profoundly significant question. John 4:20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." Where do I find true worship?

Jesus’ ultimate answer is… “John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Jesus helps this lady to know that worship is not a place or people group issue, worship is a heart issue. It matters much less about the style of music, the beauty of a church building, the smell of the incense, the order of the liturgy, the clothes you wear, the hymn books you use, and much more about your heart that is focused on the God you love through the person and work of Christ Jesus.

When we gather as those who worship God in spirit and in truth even when we are not together, we affect each other in God-centered hearts as we hear the reading and preaching of his word, as we join in prayer, as we partake in ordinances, and sing God’s praise. For the church in this world, this is not an arbitrary, side issue.  This in Christ is the very essence of our togetherness. Your worshipful demeanor in the gathering of the saints matters a great deal.

Confessions are Important

Maybe you’ve tried to look for a church wondering whether you can be confident that a particular church will preach God’s word faithfully.  Will the doctrines I hear from this church line up with Scripture and how can I know something about how they will interpret Scripture? For me, if I ever see a church website where there is not a basic understanding of what they see as the important doctrines in the bible, I am left with a skeptical mind about their commitment to Scripture. Confessions are important for so many reasons and while a confession will never replace the bible, they can be wonderful, unifying, protections against false teaching. Confessions often show that we are not disconnected from 2000 years of Christian orthodoxy. Let’s consider the important place for confessions.

1.     There are biblical examples of confessional statements.

Within the text of Scripture, we find that the biblical writers often give theological ground for what they say.  The make formal statements of doctrine that reinforce an admonition or command or encouragement. It seems that Paul does this often and a great example can be found in 1 Timothy 2.  At the beginning of the chapter, Paul tells Timothy that he is to pray for all people and for leaders that impact the way Christians can live out their faith in public. This reflects God’s saving heart (vs.4).  Why must Christians have a comprehensive heart of prayer and evangelism for all people? Paul makes a very formal statement in vs.5-6 that would not be out of place in any formal confession of faith - For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

2.     Confessions unify God’s people.

The church is told that it is pillar and buttress of truth (1 Tim 3:15). That means that it is the church’s role to protect the doctrines of Scripture. Each local church is united as a congregation with a God ordained leadership of elders and are responsible for upholding the truth of Scripture together. As a unifying declaration of faith, a confession or statement of faith works to carefully define the doctrines of Scripture for the church to uphold the truth of Scripture. This is then lived out within the body and as we interact with the world. A confession is a formal, intentional, and responsible way of bringing clarity to what will affect the unity of the body of Christ in matters of biblical truth.

3.     Confessions help to give concise statements of doctrine from a big bible.

Everyone should truly understand that only the bible is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative word of God. Confessions can never replace the bible, but the bible is our source of doctrine.  Biblical doctrines take time to develop. As we study through the scriptures and find themes and truths consistently taught through God’s progressive revelation, we find essential and important doctrines that can be clearly and objectively stated with concise precision.  Confessions help us to communicate biblical doctrines central to the Christian faith.

4.     Confessions proclaim strength.

The church holds strong on the truth of Scripture as we live in Christ and in the power of the Spirit. Confessions make a statement to all who read them that this church is founded on the word of God and uphold the doctrines of truth from the word of God. Most confessions will have biblical references to show that each statement has been carefully worded through the study of the Scriptures. When a church unites around statements of truth drawn from the infallible word of God, we declare a position of strength. We say that we obey God and not man.

Here is a link to our statement of faith.  

And here is a link to one of my favorite confessions – the 1st London Baptist Confessions of Faith 1646.

One God, One Purpose

1Timothy 2:3-6 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

What do you emphasize when you read the bible? So often when we read sections of Scripture we can be so distracted by our temporal vision in our own life and culture that we miss biblical statements that force our view to see a bigger purpose. The verses above come directly after Paul telling Timothy to pray for leaders and their effect on our life in the world. 1Timothy 2:1-2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Whenever we come to the Scriptures, we need to read comprehensively to answer the big question – What does God want most out of this? What is God’s big purpose? God’s purpose is always in complete unity with his character.  The verses in 1 Timothy 2 are so helpful for this. We might be tempted to read the first verses in 1 Timothy 2 and put our sights on a moral or ideological transformation of a culture. We might even suggest that these verses compel us to activism for a cultural change. These verses, however, neither condemn nor compel cultural activism. When we read further, however, we see that God compels us to read this encouragement to the church based on Who he is. He is a saving God. His big purpose for his glory is the salvation of mankind. For that purpose, he gave mankind a mediator in Jesus Christ who paid the ransom for our sin. There is a universal call of the gospel in every culture because God is a saving God. The aim of our cultural engagement is the good news of Jesus for all people.

When we read the Scriptures compelling the church to some type of activity in this world, we must always ask what God wants out of it. Why should we pray for leaders? Why should we want peaceful and quiet lives?  Why should we be godly and dignified as we live in the culture? The answer is found in Who God is. He is a God WHO desires all people to be saved.  That is Who he is.  That is his heart. When we realize the big saving purpose of God for his glory, we do everything with that flavor and desire. God is a God of mission and everything the church does in this world is because of that mission.

There is one God with one purpose, and he has called his church to be his means of that purpose in this world – it’s an eternal purpose.

Is Your Fight a Good Fight?

Over the last few years I have been significantly concerned about the practical definitions of what it means to many Christians to be orthodox or conservative as evangelicals. It seems to many that if you are not willing to voice your anger against cultural change in a public way, you are not in the fight you should be. It’s as if some have made this a matter of orthodoxy. I have often been left wondering how we should really define the Christian fight. It’s not that I am against the concept of a Christian war because there are prominent places in the New Testament where Paul uses battle language. It’s in those places we see the nature of the fight to which we are called.

1.     The domain of the fight.

The first reality we find is that it’s a spiritual fight. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth as it was being threatened by the influence of those termed as “super apostles.” They were false teachers who were undermining the gospel within the church. It was a spiritual battle for the integrity of the gospel in the church to keep the church committed to authenticity in Christ’s mission.

In the New Testament letters, we constantly find that the focus of spiritual warfare is the integrity of the gospel in the church as it reaches out in mission to the lost in the world. Today many people have attempted to focus the church’s fight on the world, particularly government, to fight against the immorality of a changing culture. When the apostles speak about the government in the New Testament there is a glaring absence of battle language.  In fact, more than anything, there is an encouragement for Christians to live peaceably through respectful obedience in good conscience before God. (* Disclaimer: I am not saying that it is sinful or wrong to speak out against evil/ungodly decisions or use legal or legislative means to uphold God’s holy standard where possible. I’m saying that the core battle lines of the church are not described as such in the New Testament and the priority of our battle language is often distorted when focused away from the integrity of the gospel in the church.)

If we are not foundationally fighting the spiritual battle of gospel integrity in the church for mission in the world, we might want to ask ourselves if we are more concerned about our cultures than we are about God’s glory through salvation of the lost.

2.     A great example of the fight.

One of the best examples of the spiritual war is found in Paul’s letters to Timothy as he entrusts his dear son in the faith to battle (1:18-20). If you just read through Paul’s first letter to Timothy, you find that the false teaching in Ephesus has impacted the church beyond dogma. The consequence of false teaching affects the whole life of the church. Timothy is instructed to fight, and it may not always look like many today expect it to look. As you read through this letter and make a list of instructions for the fight, your list will look something like this.

            - Correcting false doctrine and teachers within the local church.

            - Living in dignity for the sake of the unsaved.

            - Having ordered gatherings that respect God’s will for men and women.

            - Having a leadership that matches the calling and integrity of the gospel.  

            - The protection of truth.

            - Correcting misconceptions about holiness.

            - To keep the reading and preaching of God's word central in the church.

            - To keep his own teaching in check.

            - To ensure the church is properly caring for widows as a witness to the community.

            - To lead and put measures in place for an authentically faithful eldership.

            - To correct the greediness of false teaching to encourage a generosity to the gospel.

Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight. I think if we asked the Apostle Paul what his definition of a good fight is, he might simply tell us to read the rest of the letter and see for ourselves. He may also more personally tell us to read Romans 7 where he discusses a battle against his own sin. We engage in the good fight to protect the historical Christian faith that has stood the test of time now for 2000 years. The church is still alive and the gospel is spreading because the good fight is enduring in the power of Christ.

As you read Paul’s letters to Timothy, perhaps also listen out for the loving sincerity of the Apostle as he sincerely guides his spiritual son to navigate his mission with a goal of love.

When Mercy Overrides Your Theology

Sometimes we come to hotly contested bible passages and find that the contest blinds us to the context. When we see the bigger point of the context, we find that our contested theological systems pale in significance to a much greater wonder in God’s Word. When we see how God has revealed himself to us, his character is placed on glorious display over our debatable theological positions. A classic example of this is found in Romans 11 where we see that God’s mercy is infinitely greater than our debates about Israel.

Consider for a moment these statements from Paul specifically addressing gentile believers about the hope for Israelite non-believers. Rom 11:30-32 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

These and even more specifically the verses leading up to it are hotly contested as theologians attempt to resolve what Paul means when he says in Romans 11:26 that all Israel will be saved. They debate about what “Israel” means and when and how it will happen. Some theologians think that all national Israel (living at the time of the second coming) will be saved sometime in the future just prior to or at Christ’s return. Others think that the total number of saved national Israelites occurs as each individual elect Israelite comes to faith during the era of the New Covenant prior to the second coming (my personal preference). Still others think that Israel has been fulfilled in Christ and now all who come to Christ, both Jews and gentiles, show the whole salvation of Israel. Other people believe that these verses will only be fulfilled in a national Israel in a future millennial age.

I’m not saying the consideration of these details is unimportant. What we believe about Israel and the church affects a lot and shows something about how we interpret Scripture. Even so, this debate is secondary to the main point about our saving God who saves both jews and gentiles. God in his eternal purpose and plan has ordained that his saving mercy is to be on glorious display as he saves both disobedient gentiles and disobedient jews. Consider again vs. 32. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

In verses 30-32, Paul uses the word mercy four times. He helps us to understand the nature of mercy. Mercy is mercy because it is given to disobedient people who deserve judgment. Mercy is mercy because disobedient creatures have no way of their own to appease the wrath of their Creator. Mercy is mercy because nothing can place you in a position of privilege to receive it – not the birth right of a jew and not a gentile claiming favor over disobedient jews. God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all (both gentiles and jews).

Mercy is ordained by God, bestowed by God, to people chosen by God. Mercy is given to people who deserve judgment, and God has clearly displayed that his mercy shows no partiality in the working of his sovereign grace. If you have received the mercy of God, it has been all of God and it has shown his love and grace in choosing that you will no longer be under his eternally, righteous, wrath where you deserve to be in your flagrant love of sin.

Paul doesn’t end chapter 11 in a doxology of praise because he knows the definition of Israel and the timing of their salvation. Paul ends in a doxology of praise because whether jew or gentile, if you in your disobedience receive the mercy of God, it is his glory alone on display in your salvation. Therefore, every redeemed soul on earth can join Paul as he brings his discussion of the sovereignty of God in mercy and grace to an end.

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.