A God Who Relents?

Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Does God relent? Does he change his mind based on the behavior of human beings? It's certainly more difficult to say no when you see this verse and a few others like it. So how do we understand this? God had warned Nineveh through Jonah that destruction was coming. They believed God and repented. Does this verse show a genuine response to their repentance from God or not?

Let's consider this statement in the light of other Scriptures.

1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret."

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

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

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

The consistent testimony of Scripture is that God is immutable (he never changes). God's eternal counsel is absolute. If God does not change his mind, then this means we cannot understand the statement in Jonah 3:10 about God relenting in the same way we would a human being.

Often when the Scriptures describe God in his interactions with humanity, we see something that is known as anthropomorphic language. This means that God's actions with humanity are presented in a language that we can understand on our terms. God doesn't change and yet he has genuinely interacted with humanity according to his will. To truly understand the intricate details of how God's sovereign, eternal will operates in real human history is truly above our pay grade, but this language helps us to understand that God genuinely does interact with us.

If, on the other hand, this verse does mean that God does change his mind and is directed by man's actions, God loses all sovereignty.  This type of belief system is known as open theism. It is an unbiblical philosophy about God that contradicts his very character. Open theism also gives us no confidence about our future. If God's will can be directed according to the actions of his creation, we can have no certainty about his hold on our future with him.

The beautiful reality about God's immutability is that we can have absolute confidence in God's eternal decrees. When God saves, he will absolutely save, because he has willed it from eternity. Our confidence in God's hold on the future is made even more amazing when we understand that in the working of real history, God genuinely interacts with us.

I can't explain this further, but I'm so thankful for the fact that I can have utmost confidence in God who holds my future, and sincere intimacy with my God who really does walk with me in this world.

From The Pit to Praise

Often in the Scriptures and especially in the poetic writings biblical authors talk about being saved from death even though they haven't physically died. The Psalms are full of references to being saved from the grave and often uses terms such as "The Pit" and "Sheol." Even when Jonah was delivered by God from the seas and the belly of the great fish, he terms it in the sense that he was in the Belly of Sheol and The Pit.

You and I don't necessarily speak this way when our life is in turmoil. Sometimes we might consider saying that we had a near death experience through sickness. We might suggest we had a close call with death if we avoided a serious accident. We don't really see the low ebbs of our lives and say it is death. Especially in the Psalms and other wisdom literature, life and death are not just the physical realities of existence, they also describe the essence or vitality of existence. Life is not just breathing but seen to be abundant and vibrant. Death is not just the loss of physical life but it is the depravity of the human condition in life. Sometimes it is the very struggle, even physical struggle of life.

Listen to David.

 Psalm 30:3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 69:10-16  When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. 14 Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

In Psalm 69 David is speaking of his life as if he is lying in the ground ready to be covered over as he faces the hardship of his life and the taunts of his enemies. He is in despair.

We are never left in this position. We are always called to know that God's mercy is greater than Sheol or The Pit. In Psalm 30, David cries out to God and makes the argument that if he were physically to be in the grave because of the consequences of his own pride, God's greater glory in his mercy would not be seen and praised. He pleads for God's mercy knowing that God has power over death.

Psalm 30:9-12 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

In the beautiful rhetoric of poetry and songs we get to truly contemplate the glory of God in the way he rescues us out of human depravity. Rather than the doom of Sheol, in Christ we have our mourning turned to dancing, our sackcloth turned to clothes of gladness, and we are not able to be silent in singing God's praise.

When we look at the reality of our lives as we read it in the Psalms, we are presented with a stunning truth. We desperately need God's mercy. God's mercy is more wonderful than you can imagine and it should drive your whole life of praise and thanksgiving as you live, abundantly live, for him.

How Spectacular is God's Mercy to You

Psalm 107:1-3 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

When you read Psalm 107 you see an amazing glimpse of the wonder of God's mercy. This Psalm is a journey through different circumstances that all result in praise to the Lord for his mercy and deliverance. There are people who suffer in the circumstance of a sin cursed world. There are those who suffer in the reality of their own sin. There are those who suffer in the consequences of their sin, and those who simply suffer in the midst of God-ordained events. In every circumstance there is a cry for deliverance and a glorious vision of the grace and mercy and love of God in response to our cries.

This doesn't mean that God instantly delivers us from every trouble. In fact, this Psalm seems to show that God uses all sorts of affliction and suffering to turn us to him. His righteous ones look up from their situation, not in.

The amazing thing about Psalm 107 is how it shows a most glorious truth. This, one of the great songs of Israel, talks about God saving his people out of all sorts of trouble. When you read the first three verses, you find that his deliverance reaches every land from every direction. For its original audience, these words could not be so easily looked over. God's mercy and deliverance extends beyond the borders of one nation, and it's spectacular.

At one point in this Psalm there is a description of godless merchant sailors who are humbled by the horror of a great storm and cry out to God for mercy. God calms the storm and delivers these men, and the Psalmist makes it clear that the only right answer for these men is to worship God and praise him in the assembly of his people.  God's mercy is spectacular, and it requires our praise.

23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. 28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

If you want to see a similar account, just like this, read Jonah 1. For today, the point is simple. God's mercy should be overwhelmingly spectacular to us all. It is most gloriously seen in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should be praising!

You Can Only Run Away from A False god.

2 Kings 17 is a depressing read.

Those who were supposed to be God's people were overcome by the brutal nation of Assyria. King Hoshea was taken captive and the city of Samaria (the capital of Northern Israel) was besieged for three years. As you read through the chapter you find that this is the result of a people who ignored God's warnings to them through the prophets and continued to live according to the evil of the surrounding nations. Those who were supposed to be God's people were not God's people and they came under his judgment. Assyria removed them from the land and scattered them among pagan cities. Then, the king of Assyria brought people from other nations into the city of Samaria. Northern Israel was no more.

When people moved into the territory of Northern Israel, they also did not fear the Lord and they were by no means welcomed by God.

2 Kings 17:24-27 And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. 25 And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did not fear the LORD. Therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which killed some of them. 26 So the king of Assyria was told, "The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god of the land. Therefore he has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land." 27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, "Send there one of the priests whom you carried away from there, and let him go and dwell there and teach them the law of the god of the land."

When you read this narrative, it almost sounds like God's territory is only the boundary of land called Israel. The king of Assyria certainly saw it that way. When things were not working out in the city of Samaria, he sent an Israelite priest back from exile to show them how to worship the "god of the land." In one sense we know that God is indeed the God of Israel, but we also know that God cannot be contained by a temple or land. He is the ever-present God and the earth is his footstool. The king of Assyria was talking about his own understanding of the gods worshipped by other nations.  They were only "powerful" in their own places. The king of Assyria has no conception of the one true living God of Israel. In fact, Israel itself had ignored a true fear for the God of the universe.

We read in the book of Jonah that he attempted to run away from the presence of God. When he got into a boat headed to Tarshish, Jonah was at least acting as a pagan even if he didn't believe like one. We can do that too. God is not the god of the place we choose. God is not the god of your public image. He is not the god of the church building. He is not the god of your family reputation. He is the God of the universe in your public and private life, and he is the God of all time in your present and after life. God simply is. The I AM. How much more amazing is that when we remember that this same God came into this world to die for our sins? He died that we might worship him as the one true living God that He is.

Let's not act like those who have false gods of specific territories. Let's worship the God of creation with reverence wherever we are and with every breath.

A Treasured Possession, Not Arrogant Possession

Deuteronomy 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

I wonder how you would hear these words as an Israelite looking forward to the promised land. You are a "treasured possession" of God "out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." Would this statement have you bowing in wonder at God's mercy and grace, or would you stand tall with pride thinking how much better you are than those other nations?

In the New Testament we have a similar statement being made about the church. 1Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. When you realize that you are part of God's church, chosen by God for his own possession, how does that make you feel? Is there something special in you? Are you better than others around you? Did God see something in you that allows you to hold on to some sort of pride? Can you say, "I'm a better candidate for God's family than most people in this world?" Of course not. Peter says that you are God's possession because you received mercy. God in his infinite electing love did not give his church what we all truly deserve - an eternity under his infinite wrath because of our negligence to love and glorify him in our God-given life and our rebellion against living for him in every moment of our day. We simply deserve hell.

How can a people who deserve an eternal hell be arrogant about being God's possession? We do so by under-valuing the enormous gift of grace and the infinite cost of God's grace to bring us into his family. We lose sight of the devastation of our own sinfulness and the infinite glory of God's holiness. We lose sight of the perfect and boundless nature of God's love, mercy, and grace. When we lose sight of this, we look at others around us with the effortless ease of our pointing fingers. When we lose the infinite measurement of grace toward us, we become measurers of the entitlement of others to receive that same grace we so desperately needed. 

Being God's treasured possession is such a mind-bowing thought that we should no longer be surprised by the sin of the world in front of our eyes. We should be compassionate ambassadors of the grace of Christ that is the only hope for everyone who is no less underserving than us. Sure, the world's sin deserves hell - so did ours.

I wonder what might have happened if we had this discussion with Jonah. Would he have boarded that boat in an attempt to run away from Nineveh?

What about you?

Letters To Timothy: A Summary

This week our church finishes our sermon series in 1 and 2 Timothy. This has been such a helpful series and I am reminded, even though this is written to Timothy as a pastor in Ephesus, it is just as much written to the whole church in Ephesus. It is a letter TO the pastor, FOR the church. Paul ends 2 Timothy by saying "Grace be with you." The you is a plural - y'all. There are numerous calls to action that Paul gives to Timothy as he deals with a significantly difficult job in shepherding sheep who are surrounded by some wolves. Those calls are significant for the whole church.

As a reminder to our church family, here are some of the calls we've heard from the Apostle Paul. Be reminded that 2nd Timothy are his last recorded words on the planet.

1 Timothy 1

We have a call to guard the good deposit of faith. We are charged to combat worthless teaching. We can understand the scope of the gospel through the calling of Paul who is chief of sinners. Sinners are called to Christ. The gospel of saving sinners is entrusted to us.

1 Timothy 2

We are called to pray for all people. We are called to pray for those in authority that we might have peaceful lives for the sake of the gospel. We are to maintain the apostolic gospel for all people (including gentiles). We are called to men and women of God and not per the world's standard. Men are called to be gentle and prayerful. Women are called to be godly inside and out. The creation order for men and women is to be displayed in the church. Women are to come under the teaching of the gospel with a quiet and godly demeanor.

1 Timothy 3

The church is to appoint elders and deacons according to the calling and qualifications in the Scripture. Elders are to be the few men called and qualified to teach, oversee and shepherd the church. Deacons are to be the men qualified to manage the ministry of the church. We are all together called to maintain the purity of the teaching of the word of God as the pillar and buttress of truth.

1 Timothy 4

We are to recognize false teaching as a threat to the church. God has not called us to legalistic asceticism but to the enjoyment of his glory. We are to both know and apply the word of God to our lives. Salvation begets the importance of life and doctrine in all of us.

1 Timothy 5

The church is to act as a community. Generational love, honor and respect should be visibly evident. When an older lady has no ability to care for herself with no family of her own, the church is her family and support. Young ladies should be careful not to be idle with temptation to sin - marriage is a good thing.

1 Timothy 6

Do not allow false teachers to build an expectation that coming to Christ means he will meet your earthly temporal desires. Our contentment is found in godliness. Don't pursue the love of money (or the world) as it will only lead to destruction. Counter your earthly desires with righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness, fighting the good fight and holding on to eternal life. Be generous toward the gospel.

2 Timothy 1

We have a call to suffer for the gospel. A call to guard apostolic preaching of the gospel. Be like Onesiphorus who is not ashamed of the gospel and willing to refresh a brother under persecution because of it.

2 Timothy 2

Equip faithful men for the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Avoid being focused on worldly and civilian pursuits but keep your eyes on fulfilling your mission in Christ. Hold fast to everything we have in Christ and be faithful to it. Handle the Scriptures carefully in contrast to false teachers. God's election stands in powerful opposition to the false teachers - the Lord knows his own. Whatever the situation, our response is not to come from our own selfish desires. We are to be kind and gentle and not quarrelsome as we seek to teach others the truth in correction. We are to rely on God alone to change the hearts of men.

2 Timothy 3

Be super careful with false teachers because they can easily lead you astray and even show an appearance of godliness. You can discern this because they do not show a commitment to God's power in the repentance of sin. There is certain judgment awaiting those who will so boldly oppose God's truth. We are called, therefore, for endurance in godliness and faith. Remember where the Scriptures come from, they are God's Word, breathed out in his power. They are our useful guide and truth for all ministry.

2 Timothy 4

The pastor is to do the work of a pastor (preach, reprove, exhort) regardless of the pressures, preferences, and passions of others. Beware of those who preach what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. At the end of your life, look toward the glory of heaven. Regardless of those who disappoint you, fulfill your calling in the gospel. Know always that the Lord is present with you. Maintain your commitment to live for his glory. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

Give the Disciples a Break

Have you ever read the gospels and wondered how the disciples could be so confused about the Master they follow? For me, as I read the gospels looking at the disciple's reactions to Jesus, it's a bit like I'm a spectator watching my favorite football team. One moment I'm on my feet watching them advance and excited for the progress. The next moment they're outmaneuvered and I'm wondering how they could not see the next play coming. Even more than this, watching the disciples is like watching your team play when you already know the end score. We have the wonderful benefit of resurrection hindsight.

It's impossible to take our hindsight away, but one might still try to make the argument that the disciples had good reason to have true clarity about Jesus. They had the Old Testament Scriptures that are continually progressing toward and pointing to Christ. They tell specific things about the Messiah that were completely true in Jesus. Isaiah 35:4-6 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Even Jesus referred to these words as words about himself (Matthew 11:4-5). Take your hindsight away and ask yourself, what it means that God will come with vengeance and save. How will he save? What will it look like? It's something great and I'm sure the disciples believed that, but what exactly would it be?

The disciples had Old Testament Scriptures that were explicit about the shame of one who being sentenced to death was hung on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance." If you were a disciple, this alone would make the crucifixion of your Messiah unthinkable. If we didn't have the hindsight of Galatians 3:13, would we ever think that Jesus being crucified and becoming a curse for us would be so glorious? In his famous discussion with Nicodemus Jesus said in John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Without hindsight would you have so easily equated this with a Roman crucifixion?

There were times we see the disciples making clear and true statements about Jesus. One of these was Peter's confession that Jesus was The Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). That confession was not attributed to Peter's great insight. Jesus tells Peter that the only way he can know this is that it has been revealed to him by his Father in heaven. Just a few verses later Jesus explicitly tells them that he is to die and rise on the third day and Peter will have nothing of it (Matthew 16:21-22).

We have the gospels and New Testament letters written in hindsight of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Apostles who wrote them, wrote with new eyes. Even if previous to the cross they believed Jesus when he told them he would rise on the third day, how could they possibly understand exactly how that resurrection would look? In fact, they themselves were instructed by Jesus after his resurrection to see how all the Old Testament Scriptures point to his work of the cross. Now they had the reference point to understand the pinnacle event of God's great plan.

When we see the disciples bewildered by the crucifixion of their Master or taken by surprise at the sight of his resurrected body, we must understand that it is this wonderful, completed work of the cross that gives us the clarity to comprehend the entire canon of Scripture. It is only through this and the illuminating, enlightening work of the Spirit of God that we, even today, have any ability to see the truth found in Jesus Christ alone.

Let's give the disciples a break. Sure, the Old Testament Scriptures made clear reference to what they should all expect in the coming Messiah. Most Jews did in fact reject Jesus, but these disciples did not. By the grace of God, he used these men to give us an eyewitness testimony of the one event that explains the very purpose and meaning of life and our hope for all eternity. Because of their witness, we know the end score.

The Irony of Decisionism

Decisionism and regeneration are two entirely different realities. The regenerate believer is one who hears the gospel and is made alive through a new birth into an entirely new life which is defined by union with Christ. The decision maker is a person who hears the gospel (or maybe not) and decides to believe in Jesus through some type of on-the-spot transaction to get into heaven (or not go to hell). This is not to say that there has never been a decision maker who has received God's grace of regeneration. The problem is that thousands of churches and Christian organizations have used decisionism tactics to count numbers of Christians - many who are not truly Christians. Persuaded by music, effective lighting, emotional pleas and revivalist fervor, many people have been guided into a false transaction with God that has eternal consequences.

Probably the greatest irony of decisionism is found in the forgetfulness of the decision makers. It always amazes me how people can in one moment decide for Jesus because they want to go to heaven, and in the next moment live a life that shows no anticipation of that future glory. They live for now and not for later even though they claim a decision that's all about later.

As I read the Scriptures, I find that those claiming to be the people of God are not authentic when their faith is defined by forgetting who and what they are living for. We also find many examples of those who live by faith in their Redeemer and his promises to the end.

1. Psalm 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise.

This verse is part of a duo of Psalms which starts in Psalm 105 as it explains God's absolute sovereignty and wonder in his redemption and guidance of his people. It is a glorious Psalm that should instill praise and wonder in every reader. In Psalm 106 we see the devastation of those who would consider themselves to be a part of Israel, but they grumble against God. They hate his provisions, his appointed leaders, and they are more concerned with the idols of the world than the promises of their God.

In the middle of the vivid description of these people, the Psalmist describes them as those who have no faith in God's promise. In Egypt they wanted nothing more to be out of the heavy burden of slavery to live in their own glorious land. They were willing to claim the promise of God. Living in the presence of God in the land of promise would be so much better than the slavery of Egypt. The problem with these decision makers, is that they had no intention of actually living in anticipation of God's promise. For now, life was not about trusting in their Redeemer, it was about their love for the things of the world. God's promise for later had no living reality in their lives. They were faithless.

2. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

In a more positive sense, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy that the crown of righteousness is waiting for him (and all like him) because from the beginning of his calling in Christ, Paul endured in faith living unto the day when he would meet Jesus face to face. His life could be described as an enduring good fight of trusting Christ in every reality of life.

These are just two passages in the Scriptures that help us to see that saving faith in Christ does not come from us raising our hand at a gospel concert. It comes from us seeing the devastation of our sin in the light of God's holiness and trusting in his forgiveness and mercy that is only possible when God's justice has been poured upon Jesus in our place. The promise of reconciliation with God, adoption into his family, and the glorious inheritance of an eternal crown becomes our entire life as we live in the relief and love of our Savior. To live a life marked by ignorance of what we have in Christ is to not have it in the first place.

Our decisions don't save us, God grace does - through faith - in Jesus Christ. The irony of those who simply make a decision about Jesus to obtain a ticket to heaven is that they never really understand the nature of what God's promised salvation is. Without a new birth, your ticket is void. When your life is depicted by the world, what's the point of claiming heaven?

The Perils of a Pragmatic Pastor

Pragmatism - To be pragmatic is to be someone who finds meaning or truth in the success of their actions rather than by principles. In other words, some people do certain things or behave certain ways because they get certain results. Some people not willing to be ruled by pragmatism are willing to forgo those results on the basis that they are not willing to abandon principles. When it comes to success in ministry, pragmatism is the tempting path that appeals to pastors who don't properly guard biblical principles.

Even though Paul doesn't use the word "pragmatism" in his letters, he is regularly talking about it in other ways. Consider for example what he says in 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God." Throughout this second letter to Corinth, Paul seems to be defending a principled gospel ministry against the pragmatic nature of others around the church. There seems to be people saying that Paul is not successful because he doesn't command a great crowd. He doesn't seem to generate income from his speaking. He just doesn't seem to have a message that a greater number want to hear.

Paul has a determined commitment to a truth that doesn't always tickle the ears. He has a complete trust in God's power to use God's message through God's spirit to transform lives. If Paul's gospel is not successful, Paul doesn't need to question his strategies. In 2 Corinthians 4:3, Paul simply says this, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." What Paul is saying is that the only way someone comes to an experience of saving truth is when God brings light to the spiritual blindness of a human heart. God saves, we don't. If God's message does not seem successful enough to you, maybe you should dare to tell God who he should save. As for Paul, he has one focus that he has made clear to the church of Corinth from the very beginning. 1Co 1:22-23 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.

Paul's goal is not to gain a great number of Jewish followers by giving them what they want. His goal is not to gain a great number of Greek followers by giving them what they want. He is about preaching the stumbling block and folly of a Savior crucified and risen as the only way of salvation. He preaches to both Jews and Greeks that they are sinners in need of this crucified Savior. He trusts God to work through the preaching of his word.

Today all-around faithful churches where there are pastors preaching the truth of the gospel, there are pragmatic pastors focused in on the perils of a success driven mentality. Quite frankly, it grieves me. But...I also want to avoid the peril of legalism. We can go from pragmatism to legalism when we make rules that are not in the Scriptures. We can dangerously lean on legalism as a reaction to pragmatism.

So, what are some areas where pastors/elders need to be careful not to lead churches into the perils of pragmatism without falling into the equal perils of legalism.

You might be letting pragmatism rule when....

- You avoid talking about sin and its consequences for the sake of not being offensive.

- You seek to say things in your sermon because you know your crowd will like it.

- You use music styles and lighting to draw a crowd without careful concern for theological accuracy or Christ-centered truth in the lyrics.

- Your music is more about drawing people in rather than edification in the gospel and the encouragement of voices raised to God in praise and prayer.

- You raise up teachers based on their motivational capacity rather than their commitment to God's truth, elder-like qualifications, and heart for God's people.

- You avoid certain passages of Scripture because they are hard to hear or difficult to understand.

- You place more emphasis on your strategies than God working through the ministry of his word - especially the gospel.

- You forsake meaningful church membership for fear that accountability to church purity will drive people away.

- You allow egalitarian demands to overrule God's design for biblical manhood and womanhood in the church and family.

- You forsake prayer and reliance on God in your ministry for more confidence in your own time and efforts.

- You avoid your own accountability for the sake of getting things done.

While there are obviously a lot more areas we could list where pragmatism may rule, I simply want to suggest we all start right here - Please pray for your pastor not to be ruled by pragmatism. Temptations for "success" in ministry can be real and we truly need your prayer. Please lovingly encourage your pastor that real success is found in obedience to God and His word. The best encouragement you can give to a faithful preaching ministry is your own personal faith in Christ and continual transformation into the image of Christ.

Higher Authority Than Your Experience

Often when we talk about the inspiration and authority of Scripture, we immediately go to two New Testament verses. Both verses speak of the comprehensive nature of the inspiration of God in all of Scripture.

2 Peter 1:20-21 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Something many people don't often consider is that in context, these verses are not just positive descriptions of God's initiative in his revelation through Scripture, they are also statements showing that there is no human experience that can override the authority of the Bible. Let's consider each of these passages.

1. 2 Peter

In the verses leading up to Peter's statement about the inspiration of Scripture (men speaking from God and being carried along by the Holy Spirit), Peter talks of his amazing experience as a direct witness of the transfiguration of Jesus on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:16-19 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Notice that Peter says that witness of Jesus for the Apostles is a first-hand experience and cannot be reduced to myths. The problem is that even though this experience was real and spectacular, there were only three apostles that witnessed it directly. Peter is relaying his witness right here in this text and in receiving Peter's witness, people might easily wonder its believability. Is Peter a credible witness? Is he telling the truth? He's lied before when he denied knowing Jesus. Is his interpretation of what he saw accurate? Is it possible that the sun passed from a cloud and shone in his eyes? Why should people believe Peter alone?

Peter himself says that there is a more-sure word than his experience. The Scriptures point accurately to Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the entire progression of the Old Testament. The Scriptures are not just man's word but God's word. The inspiration of the Scriptures places them in a category far beyond human experience and interpretation. Because God always tells the truth, if God says a fish was big enough to swallow and spit out a human being, then he is totally believable compared to my father-in-law who always embellishes on the length of his catch. (I do love you, Pop)

For us, we have a greater benefit in that we know we can believe Peter's word about his experience in 2 Peter 1, because this word is itself inspired infallible truth from God through this fallible human author.

2. 2 Timothy.

Likewise, Paul's statement about the inspiration of Scripture has a context that depends on the verses leading to it.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Timothy had experienced life with the Apostle Paul and his godly mother and grandmother. He witnessed their teaching and way of life consistent with the Scriptures. He saw amazing courage in Paul and the wonder of God working through him. If this were all that were needed for Timothy, then we might be tempted to say that our experiences are all the authority we need.

The reality is that Paul directly points Timothy to the Scriptures as being the only source of inspired, infallible, and inerrant truth. The bible, not his experience, is everything he needs to be equipped for every good work of ministry.

So, where does that leave us?

When it comes to our experience, we must always ensure that it takes a back seat to the magisterial authority of the word of God.

In serving our Lord, there's one thing to know, God's Word must direct us wherever we go!

Being an Example of Godliness

All Scripture demands self-reflection of some sort. We often face biblical truth with the question of how it relates to us or what we must believe, do, or change. This week I faced a section of Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy that demanded a thoughtful reflection of my life. A reflection that had me asking, "How might others be able to explain how my life reflects godliness in Christ Jesus?"

2 Timothy 3:10-11 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.

What did you notice about these two verses? I read this passage numerous times, thinking through each word and phrase. I realized something profound - at least for me. I found myself desiring for Paul to give me more explanation than the simple categories he lists for Timothy. Paul is Timothy's example for living out his faith and calling in Christ. Timothy has been on mission with Paul and sat under Paul's instruction. As one living in close quarters with Paul, Timothy had intimate knowledge of how each of these categories were defined in Paul's life. As I read these verses, I wanted Paul to explain more about what Timothy was following. "Paul, what was your teaching? What was your conduct? What was your aim in life? etc."

I realized two profound truths as I read this list over and over. 

1. Paul's whole life is on display in the book of Acts and his letters.

Every one of the categories that Timothy has personally witnessed in Paul can be defined for us when we read about Paul and through Paul in the New Testament. I realized how thankful I am that Paul, warts and all, could be such an open book. I thanked God for such a godly example of Christ's grace and truth. I thanked God for a man so aware of his own sinfulness as an undeserving recipient of grace.

Sometimes reading the bible takes work. Understanding the subject headings of Paul's life that Timothy followed may require us to continually return to these verses as we read 13 letters from Paul and the sections about Paul in the book of Acts. How is purpose, faith, love, patience, and endurance and more, shown in the teaching and life of Paul? We need to read him and find out.

2. I am also an example of these categories.

As much as we can read the letters of Paul and ask questions about these categories in his life, people around us can describe how they see these categories in our lives. I am convinced that we simply have a list of categories from Paul because they help us to assess our own example to others. If Timothy could so confidently know what he was following from Paul's example, I wonder what others might know about following our example. What defines our teaching? How might others define our way of life, our purpose, our love and patience and faith? How might others describe the way we handle persecution and suffering? What is the nature of our endurance?

If Paul were to have given us a full description of everything in these verses, we may not be prompted to be so reflective. But...reflective we must be. These categories help us to consider how Christ is being prominently lived out in our life as we point others to him in word and deed. They are the measuring criteria we all need. 

I wonder if we could ever be as confident as Paul. Can you imagine talking to someone who lives in close contact with you and asking, "If you followed the way love is lived out in me, what would that look like?" Scary, huh?

It's one thing to talk about Christlike godliness. To be an example for others is entirely different.

Whose Freedom Are You Fighting For?

If you read through Paul's two letters to Timothy, you quickly gain the impression that the fight of ideologies in and around the Ephesian church was an intense one. Multiple times Paul must discuss the false teachers and ideas that are unsettling the fellowship. He is constantly encouraging and equipping Timothy to deal with it. Paul is instructing Timothy how to fight for freedom for the sake of the church. In our current modern context, those words often mean a political or cultural battle for our religious liberties, but that is not Timothy's fight, and neither is it the focus of our most important fight. Timothy's fight is a fight for the souls of those who are opposing the truth of Scripture and enslaved by the Devil. Paul makes it very clear as to how to go about that.

2Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

1. The greatest captivity is bondage to Satan.

Those in opposition to the ministry of the gospel and the word of God in Ephesus need freedom. Paul makes it clear that when someone is in opposition to God and the ministry of the gospel, they are in slavery to evil. Timothy should care greatly about this. Notice that Paul's whole point to Timothy is about how he should conduct himself as he talks to his opposition so that God might work through him to bring them out of their bondage to Satan.

Unfortunately, many Christians are quick to look at those who oppose us and have a quiet comfort that opposition will be judged. It's not wrong for a Christian to desire that evil be overcome, and that God's enemies are brought to justice. If, however, along the way we are not overwhelmed with compassion for those opponents who can be forgiven and saved while they still have breath, we are dismissing the very heart of Christ for the lost. God does not want our outrage; he wants us on mission.

The freedom that Paul is most concerned with is not Timothy's freedom but his opposition's freedom. Timothy should greatly desire that God might work through him to bring his opposition to his senses and be turned from slaves of Satan to servants of Christ.

2. The fight is not for Timothy to dominate and win.

When Timothy realizes that freeing his opposition from Satan is above his power and pay grade, he will no longer have to worry about being right, or winning the day. All Timothy needs to do is to be the man God wants him to be and to act and speak in obedience to Christlikeness. If pleasing God is Timothy's most important concern, then his actions and speech toward his opposition will not be about winning the war but about being the man God wants him most to be. If Timothy is this way, he can have peace in knowing that any deliverance of his opposition from Satan's power will be God's work alone.

To honor God in the fight, Paul tells Timothy to teach and correct with kindness, patience, and gentleness. Not force. Not debate. Not any means necessary to win the day. Timothy is to reflect the character of God in Christlike grace - much the same way God gently brought us into his grace when we truly saw the glory of Christ in the gospel.

How do we fight? We fight as representatives of God who reflect his character and speak the truth in love.

What are we fighting for? Not ourselves, but for those who oppose us to be freed from the bondage of sin. It's not a fight for our freedom (we already have it), it's theirs.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Pray for Your Pastor's Motivation

It's not often I use my blog to request prayer for myself, but this week I am burdened for the responsibility that is placed on those who preach and teach in their churches. You may ask, "What happened to increase your burden this week?" Well.....let me tell you a story.

My father died when I was 23. He was a good man and a Dad I both looked up to and in many respects wanted to live up to. He was strong in fortitude and character and was well respected in the church. He had a very high view of the bible and as a lay teacher would often take studies through books of the bible with our lounge room full of people. Just a short time before my dad died, he gave me a biblical reference book to encourage me to study the bible more. In the front cover he wrote, "To Stephen, Happy Birthday from Mum and Dad, 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." I often open that book just to look at my dad’s last written words to me. I'm thankful for the reminder they give me. Today when I read this verse, it's impossible not to think of my father's example.

As time went by, the words of this verse were not lost on me. They took me to seminary so that I might be really concerned about biblical accuracy to teach the bible. They were often in my mind when I could sniff out a heresy and not be ashamed to point out error. They sometimes emboldened me to make confident statements of authority because not being ashamed of biblical accuracy had to look and sound like something. If you are going to stand on the authority of the word of God before other men, you better be confident about handling it right.

Twenty-eight years post-Dad, this week, I find myself preaching through 2 Timothy and landing on this passage. Paul tells Timothy to present himself to God as one approved. Often when we consider this word, we think about being approved before other men. I think, for sentimental reasons, deep down I also wanted to be someone who might have found the approval of my dad - even though he's no longer around. Timothy is not being told to find self-approval or man's approval. He is being told to work unto God's approval. This is not approval like God's saving favor - we don't need to work for that. This is approval that simply means that we are being pleasing to God. We live to please him.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1. Paul's appeal is for the church in Rome to present their whole life in a way that pleases God.  The motivation for their whole life was to be pleasing to God with their whole being, body, mind, and soul. This is exactly the same motivation that Paul is suggesting to Timothy when he tells him to present himself to God as one approved. We live to please God. We preach to please God.

Brothers and sisters, your pastors and elders need your prayer. Pastors and Elders, like any other human beings can be tempted to find approval from other men and women. When it's as sentimental as a lost father, it can be very strong. It can happen in various ways for various reasons. We might want approval to be seen as one who stands boldly. We might want approval for our intellect or research. We might want approval for how we so accurately and skillfully defend the faith. The list goes on.

As much as anyone, pastors and elders are in the fight to deny self and exalt Christ. Our desire as much as any other believer is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice acceptable to God. Living with a motivation to please God doesn't come naturally for any human. It takes God's grace through prayer and intentional preaching to ourselves about what is most important in every task - the glory of God.

Please, please, pray for me. I do not want it ever to be about me. Pray for your pastors as we do work hard in the text of Scripture. Pray for us that we only ever do it to find the approval of God. When we do, the natural outflow of that will always be the edification of his people.

Would my dad be happy? Maybe, but it doesn't matter if God's not.

Gospel Success: Looks Can Be Deceiving

For many years it has been a particular concern of mine that Christians sometimes assess the success of the church with a very superficial, and even localized or short-sighted view. In our own congregations and lives, it appears sometimes that growth of the gospel is not successful. At times I have even heard para-church organizations explain their existence by saying that they are in ministry because the church is failing at its job. We certainly see a lot of messiness in the church in this world. We should also recognize that sometimes we use the word “church” in a very broad sense. When we do so, it seems much easier to say that the church is in a sad and sorry state. So, is God’s mission failing?

Jesus never promises us that there will be a comprehensive acceptance of the gospel. In fact, he promises us that there will be persecution and tribulation until the day he returns. Nowhere in the bible is the success of the gospel measured by how many warm bodies are on seats or how government policies align with biblical morality. What it seems that God wants most from his church is obedience, faithfulness, and trust to live for him and speak of his good news. It seems to me that success for us in terms of the gospel is more about our obedience and faithfulness rather than the results.

The success is the Lord’s.

When Paul is writing to Timothy about engaging in the difficult ministry of the gospel, he points him to be unashamed of the gospel and be strengthened by grace that is in Christ Jesus. He calls him to be willing to suffer and to be active in ministry. (2 Timothy 2:1-7). When we hear these commands from Paul to his fellow worker, we might be tempted to think that Paul is coaching Timothy for success. If so, we would expect Paul to tell Timothy how to fill the pews, answer the questions of his time, pursue cultural change, and show how successful the gospel really is.  Instead, Paul tells Timothy to be ready to suffer. That does not sound successful at all.

If we were to think about what might make the ministry of the gospel successful, we probably wouldn’t put the imprisonment of Christians at the top of the list. Paul, however, sees it differently. He knows that it is God’s gospel, and he is using his church however necessary to save exactly who he has purposed to save. 2 Timothy 2:8-10 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Paul gives Timothy two key truths in these verses. 1. The word of God (the gospel) is not bound even though he is. 2. Paul will endure anything he needs to, knowing that he is simply an instrument in the redeemer’s hands.

All around the world, faithful Christians are living out and speaking the gospel to others. Some are imprisoned and die for it. Some are just mustering up the courage to speak to their friend about Jesus in a coffee shop. Wherever this is happening in the world, people are being saved and the gospel is saving exactly who God purposes to save. Jesus has not shed one drop of his blood unsuccessfully to save his sheep. The gospel being preached is never in vain. Those who God has purposed for his mercy and grace are receiving it. Jesus is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

I suggest we should forget about the statements that people are making about how good or bad or successful or unsuccessful the church is. Let’s just be faithful in our life before God and obey everything Jesus has told us. Let’s do it knowing that as we live and speak the grace and truth of Christ, God will use us as his tools as he has done with the church for 2000 years. God doesn’t need us for the success of his gospel, but by grace he uses us – imperfect, messy us. This is exactly how Paul encouraged the Philippians in the gospel from prison.

Philippians 1:12-18 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.

Semper Fi

Before coming to live in the USA, I would sometimes watch a show or movie and hear American soldiers encouraging each other by the words, “Semper Fi.” I didn’t think much of it at the time – it’s just the movies. When I started living in the USA, I actually heard Marines using this term as an important call of camaraderie with each other. On the US Marines website there is a page devoted to the Semper Fi call and it is thus explained. “Established in 1883, this motto distinguishes the bond developed and shared between Marines…..It goes beyond words that are spoken, as it is a warriorhood that is lived. It is the fighting spirit of every Marine that can make the promise to win our Nation's battles. This promise is proclaimed in our motto, Semper Fidelis, and it means that we are always faithful to those on our left and right, from the fellow Marines we fight alongside, to those in our communities for which we fight.”  (Emphasis mine).

As I think of the seriousness of battle, I couldn’t think of a better cry to rally brothers in arms to be always faithful and on all occasions. To be always faithful means that we should be able to rely on whoever makes that call to carry out the commander’s orders with an undistracted precision. Marines might not always share their commander’s priorities of battle, but if they are distracted by their own causes, they will not be faithful to the greater battle plan of the commander. This is exactly the admonition that the Apostle Paul gives Timothy as he calls him to be a soldier of Christ.

2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

How does a Christian discern civilian pursuits from our Commander’s battle plan? Well, in 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul is constantly telling Timothy to protect, preach, and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrines that surround it and point to it. There are any number of causes that Christians might desire to make our battle ground. Some of those causes greatly appeal to Christians as we desire to live in and stand for the holiness of God. Sometimes, apart from what we might call “good” causes, Christians can simply be distracted by the desires of our world – riches, popularity, worldly power, relationships, pleasure, and the list goes on. It takes marine-like discipline to be always faithful as we seek to live for Christ and proclaim hope and salvation in him alone.

Does that life seem repetitive to you? Do you want to say that there is more to life than Christ and his gospel? Let me suggest that these questions you are hearing are calls of distraction. Paul wants Timothy and you to know that the eternal significance of Jesus means that there is not a program or cause or possession or lifestyle or community that even slightly measures up to the call and mission of the gospel. If that is not the flavor of your life and activities in this world, you might want to stand to attention in front of the mirror with Jesus in mind and call out with a loud voice – “Semper Fi.”

Christ Exalted in Suffering

Paul is not shy in speaking about his sufferings and imprisonments. When writing to Timothy he even makes a point of telling Timothy not to be ashamed of his imprisonment (2 Timothy 1:8). He makes much of the encouragement that he received in prison visits from Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:16-18) and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30).  There is no doubt that Paul suffered in prison and was greatly comforted by the visits from his brothers in Christ and the help from the churches. It is also a reality that suffering only increased Paul’s love for Jesus and found his Savior only greatly exalted through his hardships. 

In his letter to the Philippians, we see this reality in words that sound like a man contemplating the end of his life.

1. Paul is encouraged that his imprisonment has meant a greater spread of the gospel.

Philippians 1:12-14 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Can you imagine this testimony, even to Roman soldiers, that this man is so confident in his Christ that he is willing to suffer and die for him? Paul surely must be greatly encouraged to know that what may be a sense of shame to some people is a great confidence boost to others. He must surely be greatly encouraged to know that his whole purpose to expand the spread of the gospel is even happening through his imprisonment. How could this do anything else other than give him cause to praise the Lord who called him into this great work.

2. Paul has such a close grasp on Christ that he debates about whether life is better than death.

Philippians 1:18-23 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

These words sent to Philippi in a letter are not thoughtless expressions. You can imagine that Paul has had much time languishing in a Roman imprisonment contemplating his possible outcomes. For this man to be so content with the prospect of his death, we can only imagine how prison has increased his endearment to Christ. I wonder, how much more fervent were his prayers? I wonder, how much more precious were his memory of the Scriptures? I wonder, how much more intimately he realized the presence of his God?

3. Paul has found a big grasp on the realities of life.

Philippians 3:8 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.

As he thinks on his life, Paul realizes that none of his accomplishments or former zeal matter. The only thing in his life that can possibly matter is knowing and loving Jesus. Where would this truth be more apparent than sitting under guard at the mercy of Rome? Where would Christ’s glory be more needed than in the worldly shame of imprisonment?

Paul is not the only man who found that suffering and imprisonment increased the wonder of his Savior. We find many people throughout the centuries have experienced the very same. Contemplate this as you listen to the words of the great John Bunyan about his prison experience as he wondered if he would soon meet the gallows.

"I never had in all my life as great an inlet into the word of God until now.  The Scriptures that I saw nothing in before are made in this place to shine upon me.  Jesus Christ was never more real and apparent than now. Here I have seen him and felt him indeed. I have seen that here that I am persuaded I will never while in this world be able to express.  I never knew what it was for God to stand by me at all terms and at every offer of Satan to afflict me as I have found him since I came in hither. As being very tender of me, he has not suffered me to be molested, but would with one Scripture and another strengthen me against all. In so much that I have often said, 'were it lawful, I could pray for greater trouble for the greater comfort sake.'"  John Bunyan.

Who else but Christ could receive great exaltation when we face greater suffering?

Our High Calling to Suffer Well

It seems paradoxical to relate suffering to glory and blessing, but so often the Scriptures do just that. Jesus told us that we are blessed when we suffer for the sake of Christ. He said that the persecuted shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:10-12). Paul told Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus but to join him in suffering for the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8-10). Peter writes to the churches telling them that when you are insulted for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14-16). These are just a few examples where the New Testament authors encourage us to endure suffering for the sake of Christ because it is a great blessing that brings glory. While we are not told to proactively find opportunities to suffer, we should look at the right type of suffering (suffering for the gospel) as a glorious reality of the Christian life. So, what is it about suffering that is so glorious?

The author of Hebrews gives us some great hints as to why suffering for Christ is spoken of so positively in the Scriptures. He discusses suffering in the context of a beautiful section about assurance of faith.

Hebrews 10:19-36.

1. Enduring suffering for Christ’s sake is a proof that our assurance of hope is found completely in him.

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

2. Our endurance of suffering happens as we remind each other that Christ is our glorious and ultimate goal.

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

3. The endurance of suffering reveals that we are most serious about holiness before God our great judge.

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

4. Suffering for Christ brings out the compassion of his family and our desire for his kingdom over the material things of this world.

 32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

5. Suffering for Christ encourages us to most value the prize of God’s promise.

35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

6. The endurance of suffering for Christ reveals the strength of our faith to stand before him on the last day.

 37 For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

In all these wonderful truths, suffering for Christ simply proclaims the exaltation of Christ in the most powerful possible action. We say to the world, only Jesus is worth it.

The Strength of Weakness

It is never lost on me that Paul is often writing to encourage and embolden others from a jail cell. Especially in his last letter to Timothy, we find that Paul is expecting that his final day is closing in on him (2 Tim 4:6). One would think that Paul is most in need of encouragement in such a gloomy situation.  We will never know the extent of visitors, letters, and words of encouragement that Paul may have received. What we do know is that Paul was thinking less of himself and much more about those who needed encouragement to go on with the work of the gospel seeded in the work of the Apostles. Timothy was one of those pastors commissioned with the task of continuing the ministry of the gospel on the backs of the Apostles.

Timothy does not seem like the kind of pastor that many church pastoral search committees may be comfortable to employ. Timothy was seen as youthful to the degree that some in the congregation may not see the need to respect him as an elder (1 Timothy 4:12). He may have had the capacity for youthful distraction (2 Timothy 2:22). His health may have been in question (1 Timothy 5:23). He was not the sort of brother who would instantly inspire engagement (1 Corinthians 6:10-11). Paul wrote to Timothy remembering Timothy’s tears (2 Timothy 1:4). We don’t know what those tears were about, but as you read through the letters of 1 and 2 Timothy you realize that there was no shortage of hardships in the Ephesian church for this young pastor. Paul also reminds Timothy that God has not given him a spirit/(Spirit)of fear. Timothy was a young, timid, possibly unwell pastor who may have to overcome a bias against him in the church. Next candidate please.

There may have been cons to Timothy but there also were certainly pros. In Acts 16:1-2 we are told that when Paul met him, he came with a good reputation from other brothers. He travelled extensively with Paul and was directly trained by the Apostle. Now he looks like a much better candidate. Even so, Timothy still seems to have a timid character as we come to Paul’s last words to him.

Paul loved Timothy with an intensely affectionate love for his beloved child in the faith. There was something in Timothy that was worth encouraging. Let me put it to you that it was humility. Paul tells Timothy that his strength and courage would come from the examples around him and the gift that God gives him. 2Ti 1:5-6 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  In an age where we are constantly told to believe in yourself and promote yourself and trust yourself and back yourself, Paul tells a timid Timothy to gain his courage elsewhere. Timothy is not encouraged look to self, but he looks to God, the promise of Christ, the example of Paul and his mother and grandmother as they have lived out their faith in Christ. His strength is in Christ and in seeing the testimony of Christ in others.

Paul says that God has not given Timothy a spirit of fear (vs.7). That’s not because Timothy needs to grab onto his unrealized potential, but because he has an awesome God with a powerful life-giving message. Timothy’s courage comes from much greater than himself.

2Corinthians 4:7-14 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.

To The Praise of God's Faithfulness

Psalm 89 is among the great Psalms proclaiming the everlasting throne of David. Of course, we know that mortal King David lived and died, and his throne passed to the next in line. We also know that God promised him that his throne (kingdom) would become an everlasting one through his Offspring. There was a greater David yet to come who would establish an eternal throne and kingdom and bring his reign into this very world with us. All through the New Testament, we read the fulfillment of this in Jesus.

Psalm 89 recounts this covenant promise to David. “I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations.” (Psalm 89:4). The certainty of this promise is cause for praise. The Psalmist himself begins the Psalm by saying, “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever, with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1-2).

The Praise attributed to God in Psalm 89 is because God is perfectly faithful to his promises.  While the Psalmist sings his own praise to God’s faithfulness, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he also gives us a glimpse of praise that happens beyond the realm of our sight and understanding. In the heavenly realm, God is praised for his faithfulness.  

Psalm 89:5-8 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, 7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?

These few verses give us cause to wonder and perhaps even imagine what this might look and sound like. Notice that the Psalmist speaks not just of a few heavenly beings but the assembly of holy ones and the council of holy ones. Just as the church is called an assembly, it seems the angels and heavenly beings also assemble as a council together. We cannot imagine the splendor or power of an assembly of the angelic host. What we can know is that even in all their splendor, God is greatly feared and awesome above all who are around him (vs.7).  There is none like God. In the glory of the heavenly host, nothing compares to the majesty of God.

In the wonder and even transcendence of this glorious scene, the Psalmist proclaims the attribute of God being praised. O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?  This is where we can be reminded that this entire Psalm is about the establishment of the everlasting Kingdom promised to David through his Offspring. God will keep this promise and it will be to his eternal glory. The King to come and reign on David’s throne will do it in a way that will secure the reign of his kingdom in power and might forever and ever. God will keep his promise to David, and it will be as certain as God’s majesty that infinitely exceeds the glory of the heavenly host.

The host of heaven praise God because his faithfulness is all around him. We might ask, ‘Why is God’s faithfulness all around him?’ Surely it is because God’s faithfulness is intrinsic to the nature of his being and is an attribute of his surrounding glory. Not only this, but the heavenly host, even more than any mere human, understand that God has always been true to his perfect character in the history of his providential working in creation. They have witnessed God’s work in his creation from the very beginning. The host know that the future is but a formality waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled. They know that the moment God declares his will, it is a certainty.

If this is the praise given in heaven to God for his faithfulness, surely this gives us cause to put aside our doubts about our future and join in the angelic chorus. Surely if we are part of this forever kingdom loyal to our ruling and reigning King, we can be sure that God’s eternal promise is also certain for us.

Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

The Consuming Fire with Us

What is the first picture that comes to your mind when you think about the concept of Immanuel, God with us? I propose, especially at this time of year, that it is the image of a baby in a manger surrounded by straw, animals, Mary, Joseph and maybe a bunch of shepherds. It is indeed a beautiful image and a warm reality that God came in human flesh, born of a virgin, and lived a human life from the very first experience of a needy baby. The baby we celebrate is Immanuel, God with us. That warms the heart of every believer as we contemplate that our great God came into this world to save his people from their sins. Does it encourage us as much to recognize that this God is described in the book of a Hebrews as a Consuming Fire? (Heb 12:29).

When we consider that God is a consuming fire, we think of utter transcendence.  We think of his unimaginable power and authority to judge and bring infinite, eternal wrath upon the unrepentant. Do we consider the baby in the manger to be this? Can we find any comfort in the fact that deity becoming humanity means that the manger contained a Consuming Fire?

The prophet Malachi spoke of the coming of Jesus and his introduction by John the Baptist. Malachi 3:1-3 "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. Jesus did not grow into the God/man to become the Consuming Fire, he was the Consuming Fire from eternity who came into humanity. He is the One who refines and purifies away the dross from the precious metal.

One passage that has always inspired long moments of meditation for me on this subject is found in Matthew 3:11. At the baptism of Jesus where John is preparing the way for Jesus, the subject of fire again surfaces. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What can this possibly mean? The ministry of Jesus and his power of his salvation is associated with both the Holy Spirit and fire. There is a purifying and burning intensity in the power of regeneration. When we come into Christ, the transformation effect in our life happens by the transcendent power of God and places us in the standing of Christ’s purifying righteousness. This transcendent power is not only what saves us but in the Holy Spirit, it indwells us. This is nothing that John the Baptist could ever achieve but is promised and fulfilled through faith in God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. He came as the Consuming Fire in human flesh and on our behalf experienced the full power of the Consuming Fire in wrath upon our sin placed upon his shoulders.

What is your response to Immanuel? Let me suggest some lines from the Christmas song, “O Holy Night.”

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine